


Little White Lines

by AnimeNugget



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2020-03-08 01:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18885061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeNugget/pseuds/AnimeNugget
Summary: The old Imada are a clan of silkmakers, small and reclusive, but seem to have a long history of unusually good luck. Is this by chance or are the rumors true? Both the Senju and Uchiha clans intend to find out. [Tobirama x OC]





	1. Rumors

The sound of the gentle rain outside began to fade and the world slowly became quieter and quieter. She had long feared the day where the last of her hearing would go, leaving her alone in a world of black. It seems that her fears have finally caught up with her.

It won't be long now.

She silently comforted herself; it'll be ok, she's not the first to go through this and she won't be the last. This is what's supposed to happen. It'll be ok. There's nothing to be afraid of. It'll be ok.

Take a deep breath.

Calm down.

Everything will be ok.

The ever familiar image of a spiky-haired shinobi came to mind.

Surely he was already on his way here. It broke her heart to have him see her like this but she was glad to know she wouldn't be alone in her final moments.

She was endlessly grateful to have met him, even if it wasn't meant to be. If only they had been born in a different time, in different lives, perhaps then fate would have been on their side. But there's no use wishing for what has already passed, she was happy with the hand she was dealt.

It won't be long now.

As the last of the rain's pitter patter faded, she remembered how it all began. It wasn't so long ago and, come to think of it, it was a day much like this...

* * *

"Hello, my name is Senju Hashirama, this is my brother Tobirama." a tall man with long dark hair greeted the guards at the gate. "We are here to see the Imada clan leader."

The guards signaled for the tall gates to be opened, revealing a short blonde woman who bowed to the men.

"My name is Imada Samaru, please follow me."

The woman named Samaru lead the pair through the small village, weaving the worn stone paths until they came to a house that was noticeably larger than the rest. As they entered, the Senju brothers noticed that it, along with the rest of the village, had a very traditional design, almost impractically so. Though, Hashirama thought, that must be because the clan didn't have a war to worry about, unlike so many around them.

"Senju-san!" A young man no older than the brothers emerged from the building, smiling as he walked up to the pair. "It's an honor to finally meet you!"

This must be Imada Toru, the newly appointed clan head. The man was tall with long black hair tied into a neat ponytail. His striking green eyes gleamed with intellect and he had an air of elegance about him. What surprised the brothers most were the garments adorning him; they couldn't help but notice that the deep green material was unlike the ones they were used to; it was smoother and flowed like water. They knew the Imada were expert silkmakers but a piece like this was still quite the sight to see.

"Please, this way." Toru led them inside and motioned towards a small room to their right. He whispered something to Samaru before the girl bowed and shuffled away.

"Your village is very beautiful, Imada-san." Hashirama grinned politely, taking a seat in front of the low-set table.

"You're too kind." Toru closed the door and took a seat across from the guests. "Anyways, about why I asked you here. I know my late father was firmly against conducting trade with other clans, but, as stated in my letter, I believe our work is something to be shared with the world. Your clan has long showed interest in our silk, so if you're still willing, I would like to discuss a trade deal between our clans."

As if on cue, the door slid open and Samaru stepped inside, handing a roll of glossy blue material to Toru. The young man unrolled a length of it, draping the rich fabric over the table.

"So this is the famous Imada silk, its an honor to finally be able to see it up close!" Hashirama smiled, picking up one end of it. He was surprised how soft it was, certainly unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

"That's great to hear! Come, I'd like to show you some of our finished garments." Toru smiled enthusiastically.

He lead the brothers across the large building, coming to a hall of elaborate, important-looking doors. Pushing open the first one on the left, Toru stepped inside, followed by the brothers whose eyes lit up at the sight before them.

The large chamber was filled with rows upon rows of hanging kimonos, each one gleaming with the same shine that only the Imada could achieve. As he approached the one nearest to the door, Hashirama noticed the incredible detail that graced the material: an elegant peacock fanned its tail proudly, each feather on the bird was embroidered immaculately, even its eyes seemed to be staring back at him. Blue and green tail feathers were scattered across the cream surface of the kimono, as if they had been carried up in a soft breeze.

The one next to it was no less breathtaking. The silk seemed to have captured spring itself: flowers trailed up the back of the garment, twisting ever so slightly before disappearing at the collar. The rich green tone of the fabric was one of a forest in the peak of spring, it almost seemed out of place in the current autumn season. Each kimono had a uniquely intricate design, but they were all truly stunning.

"As you can see, our silks are the finest in the country. They're lighter, smoother, and have an unrivaled shine to them. I can personally guarantee that there isn't anyone who can compete with our silkmakers."

Hashirama examined the garment with great interest, cautiously picking up the fabric and running his fingers across its brilliant surface. Tobirama, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as impressed.

"It's wonderful! I've never seen anything like it! Our clan has always been impressed by your silkmakers, though we'd never thought we'd see them up close."

"What do you think? Are you interested?" Toru asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"I don't think I can say no after seeing these!"

* * *

"Brother, should we really be focused on this kind of unnecessary trade while we're in the middle of a war?" Tobirama spoke for the first time since they arrived at the small village. "We have enough to worry about, we shouldn't be giving our attention to such a matter."

Hashirama smiled sheepishly.

"Well, the truth is, I haven't told you the real reason I agreed to the trade." Ignoring the glare from the younger man, he continued. "I've been researching an old legend surrounding the Imada."

Tobirama raised an eyebrow. His brother's interest in rumors and legends never ended well.

"They say there's a line of seers within the clan."

"Seers?" He scoffed incredulously. "You believe in that nonsense?"

"It's worth looking into." Hashirama defended. "If it's true, they might be a great asset to us, we might even be able to find a peaceful solution to the war!"

"And you agreed to that insanely expensive trade deal just so you can look for this 'seer.'" The younger Senju deadpanned, only to receive a sheepish grin from his brother. "How can you be sure the legend is true? We may be wasting time and money looking for someone who doesn't exist."

"I've thought about it and I think it's worth the risk. Imagine how quickly we could end this war if we knew what the other side was planning! We might even be able to make a treaty!"

Tobirama sighed at his ever-present optimism.

"Fine, but you better find solid evidence of this seer quickly or I'm cutting off the deal."

The older man sweatdropped.

"We're meeting with the Imada again in a few days, I'll see what I can gather before then."

* * *

Tobirama sighed and unrolled yet another scroll.

Hashirama's intent on finding this mysterious seer had,unfortunately, intrigued him. He had been searching through dozens of scrolls and, after many hours, had yet to find anything remotely helpful.

Records of the reclusive Imada clan were few and far between, but from what he had gathered he knew they were a relatively small group that had a long history of silk weaving. Though they did have a number of shinobi among them, they have not been involved in any significant conflict for many years. This was rather strange; wars were a common occurrence as they have been for a long time. One scroll, obtained from a clan that the Senju had conquered no more than a decade ago, detailed an elaborate plan to raid the Imada village for their famed silk, but it ended with a comment stating simply:

_The Imada shinobi ambushed our forces, swift and silent._

_Our plan was unsuccessful._

This scroll was relatively recent, from when Tobirama was a young boy. He recalled that the authoring clan was quite formidable, although smaller and weaker than the Senju, they should have crushed the Imada with ease. How could they have lost to a clan of silkmakers?

Could this be the work of a...

No.

There are no such thing as seers.

Tobirama set aside the document, scolding himself for even considering such an irrational thing.

Despite this, he found himself searching through another scroll, then another, then another. He didn't know what he was looking for. Perhaps he was hoping to prove himself right, or perhaps he was hoping to prove himself wrong.

The night had slipped into day before the young Senju emerged from his study, having poured over the few scrolls repeatedly. It was not unusual for him to throw himself into a task like this, though it was usually something of greater substance. He had never shown much interest in legends and hear-say, but with the seemingly ever-growing war at their heels, he was looking for anything that could stop it, even if it meant chasing a myth.

* * *

Toru glanced at the lone female attendant standing in front of a large yet simple screen door. The girl nodded and motioned for him to enter.

As he stepped inside, he felt a familiar warmth wash over him.

"Those shinobi were very strong."

"I know, it's a bit intimidating. There's no way our men would be able to fight them off if they turned on us... was it a good idea to make a deal with them?" Toru sat down, a concerned frown etched on his features.

"I didn't warn you about them, that means nothing terrible will come of it."

Toru chuckled at the words.

"You know, I didn't expect them to agree to the deal, actually I'm surprised they did. It might just be me overthinking, but do they have... another purpose in mind?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

There was a pause before he got a response.

"They're in the middle of a war that's been dragging on for years. You can imagine what that's like, Toru, the lengths one would go to stop it."

His eyes cast down and he nodded slowly.

"Then I believe you already have your answer."

The man remained silent.

"Don't worry about it. Everything has its time, just trust yourself to make the right decision and everything else will fall into place."

"It seems like I learn a new life lesson every time we speak." He chuckled. "I don't know if I trust myself, but I trust you. I'll take your advice, thanks for that."

"That's what I'm here for."

Toru glanced back at the door and noticed the light outside was dimming.

"It's getting late, I don't want to bother you too much. I'll come by tomorrow, try to get some rest." He stood and retreated towards the door.

"Thanks for visiting, Toru. Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

**Hello readers and welcome to a new story! The first few chapters of this particular adventure will bring up a lot of questions but rest assured they will all be answered soon.**

**Thank you for reading, feedback is always appreciated, and I'll see you very soon!**


	2. An Odd Encounter

"Imada-san! It's wonderful to see you again." Hashirama greeted upon reaching the clan's main compound.

A week had passed since the Senju brothers' first visit to the Imada village and they had come to finalize some details of their trade agreement.

"I was about to say the same! Thank you both for coming. Please, follow me." Toru led the two into the one of the conference rooms, the same one they had spoken in last time, where three men were already waiting.

"These are my advisors, they'll be joining us today. They worked with my father, so they know even more about the village than I do." Toru chuckled, taking a seat in front of the three elderly men.

"Excellent. Well, I'd like to discuss our end of the deal. We have many products that we can offer in exchange for your silks: ceramics from the Aharo clan, precious stones from the western nomads, spices from the Kazahimaru clan-"

"I'm sorry, I must not have made our intentions clear." Toru interrupted. "We aren't looking for any luxuries. What we want is simple, really: a team of your best medics."

The Senju brothers blinked in surprise.

"Medics?" Hashirama repeated questioning. "That's no problem, but, if I may ask, why do you need them?"

"Well, you see, a close friend of mine is suffering from a disease that none of our doctors can cure." The young Imada's expression sullied and his eyes briefly cast downwards. "We hoped that a larger clan like yourselves would have better resources than we do."

"This friend of yours must be a very important person for you to start a trade deal like this." Tobirama commented pointedly.

"Yes, we've always been very close. I feel terrible not being able to do anything to help."

"We're asking for five of your most capable medics. We're willing to send shipments of silk every month for as long as they're here. If they are able to cure the disease, we will speak further about a new arrangement." One of the advisors spoke in a deep, scratchy voice.

The brothers glanced at each other for a brief moment.

"We have a deal."

Toru instantly perked up at this.

"That's wonderful! Thank you very much!" He grinned gratefully, shaking both Senjus' hands.

After a few more minutes of negotiating details, the six men filed out of the room, all seeming very pleased with their agreement.

"Thank you again for coming today. I'm glad we were able to work everything out." Toru smiled as he led the brothers out of the compound.

"As are we." Hashirama nodded cheerfully. "Our medics should arrive within five days, I'm sure they'll be able to help your friend." He assured.

"Toru-sama." A soft voice interrupted their conversation.

They turned to see a young woman with shoulder length brown hair standing just behind the said man. Though her tone was calm, she seemed a bit rattled.

"Mila, what are you doing here?" Toru asked, slightly surprised to see her.

"Um," The girl glanced at the Senju brothers before turning back to her leader. " _Someone's_  asked to speak with you."

Toru frowned at this, though he quickly hid it with an apologetic smile as he turned to the two other men.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I have to take care of something. It's been a pleasure doing business with you. Mila, please show our guests to the door."

Hashirama took the opportunity and cut in.

"No need! We can find our way back! Besides it sounds important, you should go!" He waved dramatically.

"Thank you for understanding, I'll see you both soon." Toru bowed before turning and shuffling away, Mila following closely behind.

Hashirama smiled after the two and, after they had disappeared from sight, turned back to his brother with a sly grin on his face.

"This is our chance!" He whispered loudly.

"Our chance to do what?" Tobirama frowned, dreading what the response would be.

"To look for the seer! They have to be in the main compound somewhere and this place isn't very big, we just have to-"

"We're not going to sneak around this place."

"Come on, Tobirama! We just need to find more information on them, there has to be records somewhere around here."

* * *

"Do you know why she wants to talk?" Toru asked nervously. "She never calls for me like this…"

"I'm not sure, sir, but she seemed upset." Mila answered, concerned.

Upon reaching a familiar sliding door, Toru slipped it open and stepped inside while Mila remained on the other side of the screen, standing guard in her usual place.

"You wanted to-"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I… don't know what you mean." Toru frowned, confusion evident on his features.

"Was this your plan all along? To try and cure me? That's why you wanted to open trade?"

Toru shifted at her uncharacteristically sharp tone.

"If we could treat your condition it would be good for all of us, and you wouldn't have to go through… you know..." He trailed before suddenly realizing something. "I haven't told you about the details of the trade deal yet...have you been Detailing again?"

He took her lack of response as confirmation.

"You know it's bad for you! Why would you-"

"Don't try to change the subject. What I have is untreatable and you know it, there's no point in what you're trying to do."

Toru remained silent for a moment, eyes glued to the ground.

"I just I don't want you to go through what the others did." He sighed, disheartened. "I'm sorry. I should've told you."

He heard her echo his sigh.

"I suppose I shouldn't be so harsh. The truth is, your trade deal is the beginning of something quite important."

"What do you mean?" Toru asked, again hopeful that his efforts haven't been in vain.

"While I was Detailing your meeting with the two shinobi, I noticed they were a bit too keen on giving up their medics, especially considering the three different wars they're in right now. I thought it was odd so I traced their lines forward a bit and let's just say they're not  _just_  here for the silk."

"So they do have other intentions, I knew it. Should we be concerned?"

"No, it's nothing harmful."

"Thank goodness."

"Oh, by the way, I need you to go outside and stop Giniro from going into the records room."

"Hm? Why?"

* * *

"We shouldn't be here, Hashirama." Tobirama frowned as his brother scanned row after row of scrolls. They were currently in the ancestry section, though this was only after the older Senju had flipped through half of the ones on the census shelf.

"No luck." Hashirama sighed in defeat after having found no clues in any of the dozens of scrolls he'd skimmed. "Maybe they keep information about the seer somewhere else..."

"Or maybe the rumor is wrong and there is no seer." Tobirama reminded bluntly. "Now let's leave before someone finds us in here."

After a bit of protest, Hashirama reluctantly agreed and followed his brother out of the room.

In just a few moments, the two had left the Imada compound and were speeding back towards their own.

* * *

As agreed upon, the team of Senju medics arrived within the week, each carrying a large load of supplies on their back. They were lead through the main compound and into a single, spacious room where they were to stay.

Thanks to the ever-growing distrust Tobirama had towards the Imada, however, the medics were each told to keep records about their time in the foreign village. Also, due to the fact that getting from the Senju compound to the Imada's was nearly a day's journey, they were to report their condition once a week by carrier pigeon. This was, of course, to ensure their safety as well as to gather information about the reclusive silkmakers.

The first week's report was uneventful, oddly enough. In fact, it was so uneventful that the medics had yet to even see the patient they were supposed to be treating. Upon asking about this, thought, they were simply told to wait.

This unusual news only served to further support Tobirama's sense that something was amiss within the Imada clan, though exactly what, he couldn't tell.

Unfortunately, their strange new trading partner wasn't the only issue the Senjus had on their hands. The clans they were at war with posed an ever-present danger to life inside the compound. The constant flow of injured shinobi and the damage to their numbers was causing a strain on resources.

Being the revered leader that he was, Hashirama was always looking for a way to end all the bloodshed, in addition to his pursuits with the rumored Imada seer, he had been trying to convince his greatest rival and leader of their sworn enemy, Uchiha Madara, to consider a treaty. Though unsuccessful so far, he refused to back down, bringing up the topic each time they clashed, which was, as of late, becoming more and more frequent.

By now, nearly a month had passed since their trade agreement with the Imada officially begun, and the first silk shipment had arrived three days ago. Already, the garments had caused a buzz with the villagers. Despite being locked in three wars at once, the Senju compound was the paragon of a happy town; the wars didn't have much of an impact on the thousands of civilians who never stepped foot outside the fortified walls. This much was evident in the way people flocked to buy the long-out-of-reach silk pieces. Bids climbed into the thousands as the handful of garments were auctioned off, each one seeming more lovely than the last.

Hashirama had asked his brother to pay the silkmakers a visit to thank them for their kindness. Of course, he was also to find any information he could on the seer whose existence he had yet to give up on. Reluctant yet eager to get away from the politics of war, Tobirama agreed and took off for the distant village.

* * *

Sighing as the small wooden gates came into view, the young Senju wondered what he would have to do to convince his brother that he was chasing a ghost.

"Senju-san! I wasn't expecting a visit today!" The smiling face of Toru greeted. After dismissing the servant who had lead the guest to his office, he motioned for him to sit.

"I apologize for the surprise, but my brother insisted on sending his thanks." Tobirama explained, taking a seat in front of the desk.

"What a kind man your brother is." Toru laughed. "And you two are always welcome here, we don't get many visitors."

"Thank you, you're very generous. The pieces you sent a few days ago have already become very popular in our village."

"Is that so? Wonderful! I'm glad we have the chance to share our work with others. Oh, and I never got to thank you for your medics, they really are top of the line!"

"Have they been able to help your friend?"

"They're working on it, I'm sure they'll get there soon."

"If there's a cure, they'll find it."

_Knock knock_

Toru turned towards the door.

"Come in."

The same woman Tobirama remembered from his last visit stepped inside the office. A tinge of concern crossed Toru's face as he saw her.

"What is it, Mila?" he asked.

"She wants a word." The girl spoke timidly.

"Ah, please tell her I'll be there in just a minute." he said with a small smile.

"She wants a word with Senju-sama."

Toru frowned.

"Excuse me for a moment." he said to his guest before standing and pulling Mila aside. The two had a brief, hushed exchange before turning back to Tobirama, evidently troubled.

"Please come with me."

Confused but intrigued, Tobirama obliged, following the man out the door.

"If I may ask, who is the 'she' you mentioned earlier?" he questioned as they made the way deeper into the building.

"I think that's best left for her to answer." Toru decided, seeming rather uncomfortable.

After a few twists and turns, the trio stopped in front of a pair of tall sliding doors. Tobirama noticed Mila moving to stand to the side while Toru motioned for him to enter, offering a reassuring smile.

Finding the situation incredibly suspicious, the Senju carefully slid open the paper doors and stepped inside the dimly lit room.

Immediately, he felt a wave of chakra hit him and instinctively forced it away from his body. The chakra was intense and seemed to coat every inch of the room, both of which quickly raised red flags.

The only person inside was a woman sitting behind a small low-set table with a lantern to one side, her long black hair was tied back loosely and trailed a short distance behind her. She wore the same kind of kimono Tobirama had seen on other women in the main compound, the kind that only the Imada could make.

Her attention was fixed on a well-worn book in her hands, almost as if she didn't notice him enter.

"Stop that." she said, flipping a page.

Tobirama frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked, making an effort to maintain a polite tone despite his growing discomfort.

"Stop blocking my chakra." she answered simply.

"I don't tend to let strangers' chakra touch me."

The corner of her lips rose into a small smile and, eyes still fixed on her book, she gestured for him to sit.

Deciding it was safe to oblige, Tobirama approached the woman and took the seat across from her. He could feel the lantern's soft glow.

"You and your brother are very impressive leaders. I can't image what it's like being at the head of such a large clan." the woman commented, flipping another page. Ignoring the Senju's suspicious gaze, she continued. "Wars are a terrible thing, aren't they? Especially the ones your clan is in. It's really is a shame; so many dying young, leaving family behind. None of this is news to you, of course, and I know you're looking for a way out of it all. You're not the type to believe in myths and legends, are you? That's why I find it so odd that you're still here. You must have a lot of faith in your brother to keep coming back, following his baseless hunches."

"What's your point?" Tobirama asked sharply. Through her cryptic words, he was getting the sense that she knew more than she let on and it put him on edge, even more so than before.

She turned another page.

"Do you believe in seers, Senju-san?"

He didn't answer.

"Not many people do, these days. Though it seems like your brother does, he probably wouldn't have come here otherwise."

Something was up with this woman and Tobirama had a creeping suspicion that he knew what.

"You're the seer."

A pleased smile crossed her lips.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" she sang. "Honestly I thought it would take you longer to figure out. But that brings me back to my original point." She flipped another page. "I was born with this... peculiar gift, you see, but at no small price. The heavens decided that they would take something from me in exchange for these abilities."

She slowly closed the book in her hands and set it on the table. Then, for the first time, she looked up at at the man across from her.

Clouded, white eyes landed just off from Tobirama's own. It took him a minute to understand what she had meant.

"You're… blind." he concluded finally.

"Right again." she smiled, tilting her head slightly.

"You've been pretending to read?" he asked, glancing down at the book between them.

"Pretending? Of course not." she frowned indignantly. She flipped open the book and turned it to face him. "The ink is made with chakra, that's how I see."

Tobirama slowly scanned the page and noticed that the words were indeed emitting a faint chakra signature, enough that he would have sensed it earlier had it not been for the ridiculous amounts of chakra already coating the room.

That also explains why she had spread her chakra in such a manner, it must help her see, or rather, sense, her surroundings in a way she wouldn't be able to otherwise.

"That's why I need you to stop blocking my chakra." she explained. "I like to see the people I talk to."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"My brother wants your help ending the wars. Will you help us?"

"I don't help people I can't see." She answered in a sing-song voice.

Tobirama sighed reluctantly and, going against every instinct he had, slowly lowered the barrier around him. Instantly, he felt the incredibly uncomfortable sensation of foreign chakra molding around him.

The woman grinned as the man's features became clear.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Will you help us?" Tobirama repeated, not wanting to stay a moment longer than he had to.

"Bring your brother next time and we'll talk." she smiled.

Taking this as his cue to leave, the Senju stood and offered a slight bow.

"Then we'll be returning soon, thank you for your time." He turned and made his way to the door, itching to escape the chakra-filled room.

"Tobirama-san."

He paused and looked back at the woman.

"What color are your eyes?"

He raised an eyebrow, briefly wondering if he had heard her right.

"...red." he answered slowly.

She smiled and nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting… well anyways, I'll see you soon." she waved happily.

* * *

"Tobirama, you're back! How'd it go?" Hashirama greeted, looking up from his paperwork upon hearing the door open.

Tobirama took the seat in front of his brother's desk and sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It turns out you were right."


	3. Three

"Mila."

"Yes miss?"

"Find Toru for me, please."

"Of course miss."

Mila stepped away from her usual spot next to the set of large doors and started towards the clan head's office, the place he could most often be found.

Mila had been born and raised inside the village, much like everyone else in the clan. They were mostly self-sufficient, growing their own food, building their own houses, and, of course, making their own clothes. Due to this as well as their small size, it was no mystery as to why the Imada was not a shinobi clan. Throughout the entire town, there were no more than three dozen shinobi at any time.

Despite this major lack of manpower, the Imada clan had not been involved in war for nearly a century, a fact that Mila was sure had confused more than a few outsiders. After all, they were such an easy target, why had no one tried taking their land yet?

Actually, many people had. Just five years ago, a far larger, far more powerful clan had attempted a raid on the silkmakers. This ended in their scouts being intercepted, their lookouts being killed, and half their militia being destroyed. This, along with many other attacks, was derailed thanks to Aroka, the current Imada clan seer.

Mila had first come to the head family's compound as a servant when she was barely six years old. Her parents, who were both teachers at the smaller of the two academies in town, fell on hard times and were no longer able to take care of her. She was brought to the clan leader at the time, Toru's father, who allowed her to stay with his family on the condition that she worked as a maid. It was during her first year there that she met Aroka. The seer, who was then only a young girl, had been very kind to Mila, and the two grew close. Well, as close as their social differences allowed. It had been nearly fifteen years since then, but she remembered it like it was only yesterday.

_A six year old Mila padded down the halls of the main compound carefully, carrying a large basin of water. She was headed for the nursery where an infant had just splashed ink all over the walls of her room. The young girl shuffled as fast as she could, trying not to tip the basin; as she turned a corner, she nearly ran into another girl whom she quickly recognized as Aroka, the blind seer._

_Aroka was born into the main family and was the shining gem of the Imada clan. She was treasured endlessly for her abilities, and because of this Mila never had the chance to speak to her even though she had been here for over six months now._

" _Oh! I-I'm so sorry!" Mila winced as a trail of water splashed onto the ground. "I didn't see you there, miss."_

_Aroka tilted her head curiously and Mila felt a strange tingle spread over her._

" _What color are your eyes?" She asked._

" _My eyes?" The brunette blinked in surprise. "T-They're green, miss."_

" _Ah! You know, most people here have brown eyes, you're special. I like people with special eyes." Aroka smiled cheerfully. "I have to go now but it was nice meeting you, Mila. Bye-bye!" She waved before stepping over the puddle and brushing past her._

_Mila stared at the young seer's retreating back, confused yet intrigued by her odd behavior._

' _She seems… different."_

Soon after their first encounter that Mila had been assigned to Aroka as an attendant. She followed the raven haired girl, whom she later found out was than a year younger than her, wherever she went, as the clan leaders thought it best not to leave the blind girl alone so often.

Over the next few years, the two girls would often run around the compound, playing together whenever they got the chance. On their adventures, Mila would describe the color of the sky, the grass, and everything in between, and although her explanations were flimsy at best, Aroka always listened happily.

Over time, for a reason that Mila never understood, Aroka seemed to develop an odd aversion to going outside, and because of this their adventures became fewer and farther between. The young seer would remain in her room most days, usually reading one book or another, while Mila stood patiently outside, waiting to run any errand her friend needed her to. It wasn't the most exciting job by any means, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

As she arrived in front of a familiar office door, Mila shook the nostalgic thoughts from her head and knocked twice.

"Come in." Toru called.

She pushed open the door and bowed slightly.

"Aroka-sama asked to see you."

"Great timing! I was just about to take a break." The young man stood and stepped out of his office, Mila following close behind.

"So how's she been doing?" He asked as they started back towards Aroka's room.

"About the same, although she's been a bit more lively ever since she spoke to Senju-sama two days ago."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, she seems happier whenever we talk and she's been writing more often."

"What about?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hm, maybe she sees something important coming soon. Though I hope she hasn't been Detailing again." He sighed. "No matter how many times I tell her not to, she never listens."

"She assured me that she hasn't, she knows you worry." She smiled softly, pausing as they reached the familiar pair of doors.

"Someone has to, right?" He chuckled. "Anyways, thanks Mila." He nodded, pushing open the paper screen and stepping inside.

He felt the warm wash of chakra envelop him as he took a seat in front of the small table.

"Toru, I haven't seen you in a while." Aroka smiled at him, closing the book in her hands.

"Work has been piling up more than usual, sorry I haven't come by sooner." He smiled sheepishly.

"You'd better not overwork yourself again, you ended up passed out for two days last time, remember?"

"Hey! That was a long time ago!"

"Whatever you say." She shrugged dramatically. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, though. Something's been bugging me for awhile, I thought you might be able to help."

"What is it?"

She shifted and glanced down at the table.

"You remember Senju Tobirama, right?"

He nodded.

"What color are his eyes?"

"They're red, if I remember correctly."

Aroka tilted her head in surprise.

"Really? Are you sure? So he was telling the truth then…" She mused thoughtfully.

"Aroka, did you really ask him what color his eyes were? Some people find that strange, you know." Toru chuckled bemusedly.

"It's not strange! And besides, I've never met anyone with red eyes before. How amazing!" She clasped her hands in excitement. "I was almost sure he was lying, but this great! Oh, what about Hashirama? Does he have red eyes too?"

"No, his are black, I believe." Toru answered, amused at the disappointment that came over her face.

"Not nearly as exciting…" She sighed. "But I still can't wait to talk to them! I'm glad they're coming back so soon."

"Oh? When are they getting here?" He asked curiously.

"Right about-"

_Knock knock_

"-now."

Toru sighed and shook his head.

"You know, I really wish you would give me a heads up on these kinds of things."

Aroka flashed a toothy grin.

"Let them in, Mila." She called.

The door slid open.

"You weren't kidding when you said there was chakra everywhere." Hashirama laughed as he stepped into the room.

Tobirama only sighed as he followed him in.

"Senju-san, nice to see you again." Toru stood and greeted the two shinobi. "I know you want to speak with my friend here so I'll leave you three alone." He bowed slightly and excused himself.

As the door slid shut behind him, Aroka motioned for the two guests to sit.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to repel my chakra. I've been told it makes shinobi uncomfortable." She turned to Hashirama curiously.

"Tobirama told me it's how you see, it wouldn't be fair if we could see you but you couldn't see us." He grinned.

"Really? I'm surprised you two are brothers, you don't seem to act anything alike, and as far as I can tell you don't look much alike either." She commented, sightless eyes scanning the two shinobi closely.

"It's a mystery of nature, I would say." Hashirama nodded thoughtfully.

"If you really are a seer then I'm sure you know why we're here." Tobirama interjected pointedly.

"Hmm…" Aroka put a finger to her chin and shifted her attention to the younger of the two. "When you say it like that it almost seems like you don't trust me."

He sneered.

"Why should I-"

"What he means is we've never met anyone with your capabilities so we don't quite understand how it works yet." Hashirama cut in, putting on his most convincing grin.

Aroka smiled wryly.

"I was just about to bring that up. I'd love to explain it to you, but Tobirama doesn't seem to have much faith in my abilities." She sighed dramatically, resting her chin in her hand. "I don't really like working with people who don't have faith in me..."

Hashirama elbowed his brother and motioned for him to speak.

Tobirama, after sending him a glare, sighed indignantly.

"I have no doubt about your abilities, please excuse me if it came across that way, Imada-san." He apologized with reluctance.

"Oh that's ok! And call me Aroka, no need for formalities." She grinned brightly. "You wanted to know about how my abilities work, right? Well, the short of it is that I see the past, present, and future as a sort of web of lines, each line represents a person and is accompanied by a name. The closer two lines are to each other, the closer those two people are physically. Each time people interact, their lines cross, each time a person dies, their line ends. It's not very complicated." She explained.

Both brothers nodded intently.

"Now, what are you hoping to find out today?" She smiled.

"Right! Well, I'm sure you already know about the long history of wars our clan has been through. We want to know what we should do to break this cycle, especially regarding our conflict with the Uchiha." Hashirama explained evenly, hoping this would be the break he needed to end the wars.

"Uchiha, huh? You have a history with their leader, don't you?"

On the day the brothers had first visited the Imada village, she took an immediate interest in the two. She had examined Hashirama's line thoroughly, all the way back to his childhood where she noticed it crossed multiple times with that of Madara Uchiha. At first, she thought they were battles, as would be expected of two children of opposing clans, but then she noticed one particular encounter in which the lines belonging to Butsuma Senju, Tobirama, Tajima Uchiha, and Izuna Uchiha were also involved. The two clan leaders famously hated each other, and given that they both had young children with them, it was hard to believe all of them would have walked away alive if they were going all out. That was when she began suspecting the relationship between Hashirama and Madara wasn't as sour as it was supposed to be.

"You know that too?" Hashirama grinned sheepishly. "You're right, we used to be friends."

"I'm assuming you already have an idea of what you want to do. What is it?"

"Well, my plan is to ally with the Uchiha and create a village where clans can live together peacefully, regardless of their past." he explained, eyes gleaming with hope.

"You still haven't answered the question." Tobirama reminded impatiently.

"Ok, ok, no need to get antsy." Aroka held up her hands. "With the way things are right now, it seems that you will get your dream."

His eyes lit up.

"...in about three years."

His face fell and he slumped dramatically upon hearing this.

"Three years?! Is there any way to shorten that?"

"There's always a way." Aroka shrugged. "But it'll take more than a minute if you want anything better than a guess."

"How long will it take?" Tobirama questioned.

"A few days at most. I know you two have plenty of things to take care of back home, so go and come back in... a week, let's say." She offered.

"That would be great!" Hashirama bowed gratefully. "Please do what you can."

"I will. Now, the sooner you leave, the sooner I'll have your answers." Aroka waved them away.

"In that case, we'll see you then." Tobirama nodded before he and Hashirama both stood and bowed.

"Thank you for your time, Aroka!" The latter waved cheerfully. "I look forward to our next meeting."

"Take care." She grinned, sightless eyes following the pair as they walked out of the chakra-coated room.

* * *

"Don't you find it odd that she was so willing to help?"

The Senju brothers had just arrived back at the compound and were heading towards their offices at the center of the village.

"Not really. You're too suspicious of everyone, Tobirama." Hashirama chided lightheartedly. "I just hope she can figure out a way for us to end all these wars."

"We still don't know much about her or her clan, they might have an ulterior motive in helping us."

"I'm not sure what they would stand to gain from any of this."

"Neither am I, but I intend to find out."

"Alright, just try not to get on their bad side. If she can really do what she says she can, then we'll need her help."


	4. Blind Vision

Aroka sat with her head resting against her hand, analyzing the all too familiar sight before her.

It was a black, unremarkable space with nothing particular about it. The only thing filling the otherwise empty void was an unfathomable mass of thin white lines which seemed to stretch infinitely forwards and backwards. As she focused on an individual line, a name would form in her mind, the name of the person whom the line belonged to. She could trace the winding trail up and down, left and right, wherever it went.

As she combed through the clutter of threads, she found the one she was looking for, one that she'd been visiting often lately.

_Tobirama Senju_

He was interesting.

Aroka had, at first, only taken an interest in him because she was fascinated with the thought of his red eyes, it was times like these that made her really wish she could see, but she had found some intriguing facts about his past that made her even more invested in him.

When tracing his line backwards, she learned that he had a number of siblings whose lines ended very early on. She also gathered that he was a particularly skilled shinobi, as he had triumphed over many who were much older than him.

As she followed his trail forwards, she saw that he had crossed paths with many different people in his life, a significant number of whom saw their lines ended upon meeting his. This was one aspect about him that she didn't much appreciate, but she understood that the world wasn't exactly in an ideal state right now.

It was fascinating to see what life was like for him. Ever since she was young, she had always liked tracing lines, especially ones that belonged to people outside her clan. What did they look like? What were their dreams? What was their favorite color? So many things she would never know. It was such a pity, too. People are so interesting, so complex. There was just so much to know and so little time to know it.

"Miss?"

The voice pulled Aroka from her thoughts.

"Yes Mila?"

"I'm going to retire for the day."

"Oh, is it that late already?" She must have lost track of time. "I'll see you tomorrow then, good night."

"Good night, Miss."

As she listened to the padding of footsteps fade away, Aroka smiled to herself. Mila was such an interesting person. They had met when they were young and Aroka had quickly taken an interest in her green eyes. Soon after, when she was told she would be assigned an attendant, she asked for Mila. She wanted to make a new friend and that was exactly what she got.

" _Aroka, this is Mila. She will be your attendant starting today. She will help you with anything you need, so just ask." Yuto smiled, patting the young seer on the head before leaving the two alone. Yuto was the Imada clan leader at the time._

" _It's an honor to serve you, Aroka-sama." the seven year old Mila squeaked nervously._

" _Oh, thanks! It's nice to see you again." Aroka grinned. "Hey, I have a question. Who else has eyes like yours? You know, special eyes." She leaned forwards curiously._

" _I-I'm not sure." Mila stuttered, caught off guard by the question. "Um, I think Toru-sama has green eyes, but I've only seen him a few times."_

" _I know that, who else?"_

" _I-I think Miss Saya has blue eyes."_

" _Saya? She's the gardener, right? That's so cool! I have to talk to her!" Aroka jumped to her feet and pulled Mila out the door. " C'mon, let's go find her, I know where she is!"_

" _B-But Miss!"_

Times with Mila were always fun. Aroka learned a lot from her over the years, in fact, she was the one who taught Aroka what colors were.

" _Yellow is bright and warm. The sun is yellow, so are flowers." The brunette explained._

_The two children were lying in a field just outside the village walls. Aroka's eyes were closed as she listened intently._

" _But you said flowers are blue." the young seer remembered._

" _They can be yellow too."_

" _Flowers change colors?"_

_"No, different flowers have different colors."_

_"Oh. What color is this one?"_

" _That one's red."_

_"Red? What does red look like?"_

_"Well, it's the color of fire, so it's warm."_

" _Warmer than yellow?"_

" _Mhm. And it's the color of your skin when you stay outside too long. Oh! And it's the color of blood too."_

" _Red doesn't sound like a good color…"_

" _Colors are all good, there are no bad ones."_

" _Really? Well, if you say so… Hey, what color are you?"_

_"What color am I? Well, my skin is kind of peach-colored, between red and yellow, and my hair is brown."_

" _What about me?"_

" _We have about the same color skin but your hair is black."_

" _Oh! You told me about black before!"_

" _I remember."_

" _What color are my eyes?"_

" _They're sort of a cloudy white but they're brown underneath."_

" _Really? Hmm... I wish I could see."_

" _But you can see with your chakra right?"_

" _Kind of, but not in color. Everything's just outlines, plus it's really hard to see outside. Yuto-sama says people are uncomfortable when I touch them with my chakra, so I can only do it inside the house."_

" _Oh, I didn't know that… I don't think it's uncomfortable."_

" _Really? Thanks, I just-"_

" _Aroka! Where have you been! Father's been looking for you!" A boy around ten years old ran up to them frantically._

" _I know, I know. We're coming." Aroka sighed and pushed herself up from the grass begrudgingly. "Thanks a lot, Toru."_

" _Don't blame me when dad gets mad!" The boy stuck out his tongue playfully before dashing ahead._

" _Hey! Get back here!" she yelled, chasing after him._

She gazed at the past lines fondly, remembering what it was like when they were younger.

She stifled a yawn, blinking slowly. It must be late, maybe she should go to bed early today.

* * *

"You agreed to help them?" Toru asked in disbelief.

"Of course, what they're trying to do is a good thing." Aroka tilted her head in confusion. "Why so surprised?"

"People have come looking for you in the past but you've never revealed yourself to any of them. Not only did you do that for the Senjus, but you want to help them too? What's so special about them?"

"Just trust me, alright? I know what I'm doing." She smiled reassuringly.

Toru sighed and shook his head.

"Just be careful, ok?"

"It's a promise." She winked. "They'll be here in just a minute, I'm sure you have work to get back to."

"Always." He sighed, disheartened. "I'll see you later then?"

"I'll be here." She gave him a thumbs up as he stood and retreated from the room.

Not five minutes later, Aroka sensed two strong chakra sources approaching.

"Miss-"

"Let them in." she called.

The doors slid open and she smiled as her chakra molded around two figures.

"Aroka! It's great to see you again!" Hashirama greeted cheerfully, taking a seat in front of the seer.

"Good to see you too!" She grinned before turning to the other man. "And I didn't forget about you, Tobirama." she sang.

The said man held back a grimace.

"Anyways, I found what you wanted, a way to end the wars quickly. Turns out it wasn't as complicated as I'd thought."

"That's great! What do we need to do?" Hashirama asked eagerly.

"When you return home in three days, you're going to find yourselves in a battle with some Uchiha shinobi. If you want to cozy up to Madara, a good way to start is by  _not_  killing his brother." She smiled.

"What? I'm going to kill Izuna?" Hashirama frowned in concern.

"Not you. Him." She pointed a finger at Tobirama.

"If I have the chance, I  _will_ kill him." the younger Senju stated firmly.

"Not if you want an alliance you won't."

"You mean all we have to do is keep Izuna alive for peace to happen?" Hashirama asked, as if it were too good to be true.

"For a while, yes. Turns out his brother's death would cause major issues between your clans. Who knew?" She chuckled.

"What's the best way to do it? Should we avoid the battle entirely?"

Aroka paused for a moment, eyes darting around as if looking for something.

"No, doing that will only encourage them to attack again. The best way is probably just to be careful during the battle." she advised, nodding to herself.

"Alright, we'll keep that in mind."

Hashirama paused, seeming to remember something.

"You mentioned we would be going home in three days, we were planning on leaving in just a few hours…"

"Really? Well, sorry to break it to you, but a storm is on its way, seems pretty big too."

_**Boom** _

A sharp crack of thunder shook the room.

"You can predict the weather too?" Tobirama asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but the forecast can." She smiled snidely.

"We did see some heavy clouds earlier, I just didn't think it would be so bad." Hashirama recalled. "Would we be able to stay here until the skies clear up?"

"Of course, we have plenty of spare rooms." She grinned. "Mila, please find our friends somewhere to stay."

The door slid open and the said woman bowed lightly.

"Yes Miss." She stepped aside. "Please follow me, Senju-sama."

"It's getting late, sleep well you two." Aroka waved as the brothers thanked her and followed Mila out the door.

"Your rooms are over here." The brunette said softly as they proceeded down the hall and rounded a corner. "If you need anything, please just call and someone will be with you."

"Thank you." Hashirama grinned. "We'll turn in soon. Good night!"

"Good night, sir." Mila bowed to both men and retreated back down the hall.

* * *

Tobirama had trouble sleeping that night. The unfamiliar surroundings put him on guard, not to mention the thunderstorm outside was loud enough to vaporize any chance of sleep he might have had.

He stood from his bed and slid open the door. The rain was coming down like a brick wall, they would certainly have been drenched if they had left as intended. He stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

The walkway was dark and damp, only illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the connected courtyard. The only sound that could be heard above the crashing of the rain was a faint, almost unnoticeable tapping. He rounded the corner and glanced down the hall, where the noise was coming from. He noticed one of the doors was wide open.

As he approached, he realized it was also the room that radiated chakra, the seer's. He stopped a few feet away from the door, briefly wondering what the tapping noise was before it stopped.

"You're going to catch a cold out there." a familiar voice called from inside.

He stepped in front of the open door cautiously. Though the only light in the room was streaming in from outside, he could make out Aroka's form sitting behind the low table, attention turned to the book in her hand.

"You can come in if you ever get tired of standing."

He didn't move, only continued to peer at the woman, as if trying to figure something out.

"I get it." She sighed dramatically, closing her book. "You don't like my chakra touching you, huh? Yea, it makes a the shinobi here uncomfortable too. Just come in, I'll keep it off you." she offered.

Hesitantly, Tobirama took a step into the room and was relieved when the invasive wash of chakra didn't come over him. He approached the table and sat in the same spot he had earlier that day.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked with arms crossed.

"I can see your line, remember?" She quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

"Why was your door open?"

"I like listening to the rain."

"What are you doing up this late?"

"I don't fall asleep easily."

"Did you know I was coming?"

"Of course I did."

"Why did you ask me to come in?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Aroka tilted her head, a small smile on her lips. "But if you must know, I had something to ask you."

He raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue.

"What color are these flowers?" She turned to a small vase next to her desk.

Tobirama paused.

Had he heard her right?

"That's your question?" He frowned.

"Is there a problem?"

"...no." he answered slowly. "They're white."

A small smile spread across her face as she gazed at the small bouquet.

"Mila got it for me earlier today, she knows I like flowers. I can't see them though. The flowers around here aren't very strong, so touching them with chakra makes them die pretty quickly."

Tobirama then noticed that, besides himself, the vase was indeed the only thing in the room not covered with the woman's chakra.

"If you can't see them, why do you like them so much?" he asked.

"Because they can be all sorts of colors." Aroka grinned cheerily. "I like colors too. They're interesting, don't you think?"

"Is that why you asked about my eye color?" he inquired, recalling their first meeting.

"You remember that?" She laughed sheepishly. "Sorry if that was strange, Toru always did say it made people uncomfortable."

"Do you know him well? You two were speaking before our last meeting."

Aroka hummed happily.

"We've been friends since we were kids, being from the main branch and all. He visits me often even though his office is across the building."

Tobirama nodded and a silence fell between them.

After a minute, it was Aroka who finally spoke up.

"You still don't trust me." she mused.

"What makes you say that?"

"It doesn't take a seer to know you're not the trusting type, Tobirama." she smiled humorlessly. "Why is that?"

The man narrowed his eyes.

"You tell me." he challenged.

Aroka hummed and paused for a moment.

"Maybe it's because you grew up surrounded by war. In times like those it's only natural to be suspicious of everyone." she thought aloud. "Or maybe it's because you see so many of your own people die, after all, what's the point of getting to know someone who's going to be gone the next day? Maybe it's the pressure of being the second born, always expected to live up to Hashirama's precedent but never being able to. Or maybe it's because of your younger brothers-"

"Enough." he cut her off, standing abruptly, his eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?" he demanded.

The seer only smiled.

"I can't read thoughts, Tobirama, only actions."

"And?" he glared.

"And that means I value honesty more than anything. As good as your intentions might be, I won't work with someone I can't trust to be honest." she explained, almost as if it were a warning.

"I'll be as honest as I need to be." he retorted. "You'll know everything you need to help us end the wars."

Aroka sighed and shook her head.

"That might not be so easy to judge."

"We'll see about that." He frowned, turning towards the door.

Just as he was about to step through the open doorway, Aroka spoke again.

"The future can be unpredictable, you know."

Tobirama glanced back at her but she was looking past him, pale eyes fixed on the rain. Without a word, he turned again and continued out of the room.

Aroka sighed softly and closed her eyes. The invasive padding of raindrops filled the room as she rested her head against her hand. The night air was cold and damp, the only things to keep her company were the cracks of thunder and unrelenting rain. As the storm continued its rage, Aroka lifted her eyes and smiled to herself, index finger tapping against the dark wood table.


	5. Rainy Days

As the sun rose the next day, Hashirama yawned and rolled out of bed which, having been complete with silk sheets and cushions, had quickly become his close friend and he was reluctant to leave it.

Last night's downpour was still coming down steadily, as was evident from the loud pitter-patter outside.

Hashirama groggily slid open the screen door and nearly ran into a small boy carrying a tray of food.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there kid." He grinned apologetically.

The boy, who was no more than ten years old, smiled in return.

"It's ok mister, sorry for surprising you." He bowed.

"It was nothing. Need any help with that?" Hashirama asked, glancing down at the wooden tray in his hands; it held a few small bowls with different foods in them.

"No thanks, sir. I do this all the time! Miss Aroka is always happy when I bring her food." He grinned, blue eyes shining with pride.

"Oh? Aroka eats in her room often?" Hashirama asked curiously.

"Yep, she's in there a lot, I don't think she goes outside much." the boy confirmed with a nod. "Anyways, I should get this to her, I have a bunch of chores to do. Nice meeting you, mister!" He smiled before scurrying down the hall and around the corner.

"Who was that?" Tobirama asked, stepping out of his room and peering down the walkway.

"I'm not sure..." He hummed.

"Senju-sama."

The brothers turned to see a familiar brunette approaching.

"Oh, good morning Mila." the older of the two greeted with a smile.

"Good morning. Toru-sama wants you to know that both of you are welcome to do as you please during your time here. Everything in our village is open to you."

"That's great, please thank him for us." Hashirama nodded. "We'd actually like to speak with Aroka again."

"We do?" Tobirama raised an eyebrow, only to receive an elbow to the ribs.

"Do you think she'll mind?" The elder maintained a bright grin.

"I'm sure she'd be happy to have company." Mila smiled softly. "Please follow me."

The young woman lead the pair back down the hall and to the room they had been in yesterday. Stopping in front of the double doors, she knocked twice before hearing a 'come in.' She slid the doors open and moved aside to allow the brothers to enter.

"Well if it isn't my favorite Senju." Aroka looked up from her breakfast as they stepped into the room. "Did you sleep well?"

"We did, our rooms were more than comfortable."

"That's good to hear. So, what brings you here so early?" she asked, resting a hand under her chin.

"We were hoping to learn a bit more about your abilities. I think it'll be easier for us to work together if we understood them better."

Aroka nodded and put a finger to her chin.

"Well let's see… future events can usually be gleaned from people's interactions with one another, though it's not always obvious. The 'future' I see is really just the most likely timeline at the moment so it  _can_  change, though not usually by a lot."

"How can someone change the timeline?" Tobirama questioned.

Aroka looked over to him, through her eyes were slightly off from his.

"By doing something out of character. If someone usually goes for a walk every morning at the same time and one day, without any reason, simply decides not to, it's possible that action was out of character enough for the timeline to have not predicted it. It doesn't happen very often but it's not too rare either."

"You said these changes aren't usually very big?" Hashirama recalled.

"The timeline is good at predicting what people will do, and even when they stray from the norm it's usually in a small, insignificant decision. They're much more likely to stick to their gut when deciding on something important. Of course, small decisions can sometimes cause big shifts in the future, but that's not always the case." Aroka nodded to herself.

"Can you tell what people are going to say when you talk to them?"

"No, all I can see is who interacts with who and when it happens. I don't know any details of what those interactions are about besides what I can infer, of course."

"You can tell a lot about people just from their interactions?"Hashirama asked curiously. "What can you tell about me?"

Aroka paused for a moment and hummed thoughtfully.

"There's a woman you're often close to back in your village, Mito, I assume she's your wife. She gave birth to your first child around a month ago. Congratulations. You interact with your clansmen often, not just the shinobi, so I can tell you're a diligent leader. You have frequent meetings with the same group of… sixteen people, probably your clan's council or elders. Besides that, there aren't a lot of people you seem to contact regularly, so I gather you don't have many close friends." Aroka looked back to Hashirama expectantly. "So how did I do?"

"You're good! I didn't think you could actually tell so much! I guess you're the real deal." He beamed, laughing heartily. "What can you tell about Tobirama?"

The younger man shot his brother a glare and opened his mouth to speak but Aroka beat him to it.

"Well, he isn't around people very often unless it's during battle, so I can assume he has even fewer friends, if any. I suppose that's inevitable when you don't trust anyone. He tends to have very brief interactions with most people outside his immediate circle. He can stay up for days on end and spends a lot of time in what I guess is his office. He's pretty fast too, it seems. During battles his line moves so sporadically it gives me a headache just looking at it." she concluded, shaking her head. "Oh, and he has a girlfriend."

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"What?!" both men shouted in unison.

"You do?!"

"Of course not!"

"A fiancé then?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

"You spend a lot of time with Atsuko to not be involved." She shrugged suggestively. "And a lot of nights too."

"Atsuko?" Hashirama gasped gleefully, eyes gleaming with joy. "I didn't know you two were together! This is great! I was actually-"  
"Brother!" Tobirama cut in. "Atsuko works as an assistant to both of us, we've not involved." he stated firmly.

"Whatever you say." Aroka sang. "But anyways, those are the types of things I can usually infer about people. It's not much, but it can be important in the right situations."

Hashirama nodded thoughtfully once he refocused himself from his moment of delight.

"You can predict battles then? That must be why your clan has avoided war for so long…"

"That's right." Aroka nodded. "It happens every so often, the latest attempted attack was a bit less than two years ago."

"What happened?" he asked, intrigued.

"A few dozen men tried to invade from the North side of the village one night. They were strong but they didn't expect an ambush." She smiled, pale eyes darting around the room briefly. "Well, as much as I love speaking with you both, I have a meeting with someone in just a few minutes. It'll take a while but you're welcome to come back later if you have any more questions."

"Oh, of course. We'll get out of your way." Hashirama stood, followed by Tobirama. "Thank you for your time, please excuse us."

The pair bowed lightly and retreated from the room, nodding to Mila as they passed by.

"Did something happen with you two?" Hashirama asked casually as they turned down the hallway.

"What do you mean?"

"Her chakra wasn't touching you back there and I doubt it was by accident."

"Really? I didn't notice." he answered halfheartedly.  
"Well whatever it is, just try to stay on her good side, alright? We need her help."

Tobirama only hummed at his brother's concerns.

Just then, the two noticed a familiar blonde approaching from the opposite direction.

"Oh, Samaru, right?" Hashirama recalled the woman from their first visit. "Nice to see you again."

"Senju-sama, I heard you were staying here." She bowed respectfully. "The storm might not clear up for another few days." She glanced to the heavy curtain of rain that showed no sign of easing up, deep gray clouds hanging overhead.

"That's what Aroka said too. Hopefully we won't be a burden." Hashirama smiled gratefully.

The woman's eyes widened.

"You've met Aroka-sama?" she asked, surprised.

"A few times, actually." He nodded. "Is something wrong?"

Samaru hesitated for a moment.

"No, not at all. She usually keeps to herself is all." Her eyes cast down briefly. "Oh, I can show you around the compound if you'd like. These halls can be a bit confusing." she offered with a smile.

"If it's no bother, that would be great!"

The trio trailed through a number of corridors, stopping every so often for Samaru to point out something notable. They passed by the council's board room, the silk weaving chambers, and the garment storage space which the brothers remembered from their first visit. As they reached a walkway that faced the east side of the village, Samaru pointed to a series of adjacent buildings that were connected to the main compound by a narrow hall.

"Those are the silkmakers' living spaces. Right now we have just under thirty weavers. There are others in the village that don't work directly for the main family, but the ones that do have access to some the best tools and materials there are."

"How do you choose which silkweavers are employed here?" Tobirama questioned, glancing at the building that looked remarkably similar to main compound.

"Every year we hold a test that anyone can participate in. Those looking to join our silkmakers are asked to bring one of their finished garments to be examined. Then they are given three hours to make a length of silk that will also be judged for quality. Our current team of weavers will choose the five best garments and the five best pieces of silk, if both of someone's submissions are placed in the respective top fives, they'll be able to join our ranks. Over a hundred participants come every year, it's very popular as the village has a lot of independent silkmakers." She finished with a nod.

"How many people usually make it?" Hashirama asked.

"Usually one, if any. The most I've ever seen is two, but that's only happened once before."

"Must be a difficult test." Tobirama mused as they continued to yet another part of the compound.

"Silk is hard to make, not everyone can do it." Samaru agreed.

"Do you know the weavers well?"

"Some of them, yes. My mother used to be one, actually, she was one of the best we've ever had." She smiled sadly. "She died three years ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Hashirama frowned sympathetically.

"It was a long time ago." She breathed. "Anyways, right ahead of us is the kitchen and dining rooms. We have some very talented kitchen staff, they make enough to feed all of us everyday and they never disappoint!"

* * *

"Please turn around, Miss." one of the medics instructed.

Aroka compiled and shifted in her seat.

"I need to examine your back please."

She sighed quietly and undid her kimono, allowing it to fall to her waist. She felt the cold sensation of metal against her spine as the medic slowly dragged the instrument up and down, left and right.

"Open your eyes wide."

She did so and the women, clad in white, shone a light into her clouded pupils. They watched closely as they moved the light away, then back again, then away again before clicking it off and scribbling something in their notebooks.

"I'll need to take a blood sample."  
Aroka held out her arm and soon felt a tiny prick. After about thirty seconds, the discomfort dulled as the medic pulled out the needle and quickly wrapped the area in bandages. She slid the small vile of blood into a white cloth bag and tucked it away.

"That'll be all for today, Miss. We'll let you know if we need anything else."

The four medics stood and bowed before slowly filing out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Aroka sighed and pulled her kimono back over her shoulders.

'What a pain.' she thought as she rubbed her now bandaged arm.

She didn't like being studied under a microscope, something that these medics, given that it was their job, were very good at it. Every week they would check her pulse, check her heartbeat, check her eyes, check her hands, check everything they possibly could. But as much as she disliked this weekly poking and prodding, she did it willingly so Toru wouldn't try to convince her to. Believe it or not, arguing with him was more tiring than being micromanaged by those doctors.

Today's session was not unlike any previous ones, though one thing did make it a bit more interesting: one of the team was missing. Being the curious mind that she was, Aroka found and traced the fifth medic's line which, surprisingly, lead her straight to her favorite red-eyed Senju. What were they talking about? Sure, they could just be old friends catching up, but  _somehow_  she knew that wasn't the case. Resisting the urge to Detail for answers, Aroka decided to leave it alone for now; if it was important, she would find out soon enough.

Reaching out to her right, she tilted her head lazily as her fingers brushed against the now wilted flowers.


	6. A New Player

After three days of ceaseless downpour, the skies finally cleared enough for the Senju brothers to make their way home. Barely an hour from their compound, however, the two encountered a small band of Uchiha shinobi, just as Aroka had predicted and, true to her word, they had Izuna at their head.

Glancing at each other, the brothers nodded.

Hashirama charged at Izuna, pulling him away from the rest of his men whom Tobirama didn't hesitate to engage. Though they were outnumbered, the brothers knew that they vastly outclassed the Uchihas, even without their weapons. Izuna knew this as well, but running away wouldn't reflect well on his clan, so he needed to rely on strategy instead of strength.

The young Uchiha knew something was wrong the minute the battle began: Hashirama had been the one to move to confront him, not Tobirama. There was simply no way the younger Senju would have passed up an opportunity to fight him.

Something was up, he just didn't know what.

Narrowly dodging a blow to the back, Izuna leapt up and spit a fireball at Hashirama before charging in after it. He unsheathed his sword and swiped at his chest, knowing that his best chance at getting out alive was to stick to short-range combat and to keep his opponent from gaining the distance he would need for an offensive jutsu. Without a sword, Hashirama would have a bit more difficulty dealing with close combat than usual, Izuna just had to take advantage of that.

Tobirama, a short distance away, had his hands full dealing with the remaining three Uchiha. From the looks of it, all three were experienced, higher level shinobi whose abilities he couldn't take lightly.

The largest of the trio attacked first, spitting out a stream of fire directly towards the Senju and following it with a barrage of shuriken.

Darting to the right, Tobirama caught a punch from another Uchiha before twisting away and clasping his hands together. Ribbons of water materialized and spun themselves into a large dragon which launched itself at the first man, unaffected by the weapons thrown at it, while Tobirama turned his attention to the other two.

Charging at the same time, the Uchihas split and attacked from opposite sides. One of them threw a dozen flaming stones while the other blew out a single blazing fireball. Both moved at lightning speed and collided almost instantly, causing a blinding explosion.

A mixture of dust and mist clouded the air for a brief moment before a gust of wind swept them away. The Uchihas' eyes darted around the area, an intense red, searching frantically for the source of the wind. Suddenly, their movements ceased and they collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from where icicles had impaled their bodies. Tobirama pulled his eyes away from his fallen enemies and turned his attention towards the other altercation happening not ten meters away.

Hashirama took another step back just in time to dodge Izuna's sword. He caught the butt of the handle and twisted it in an attempt to disarm him, but the Uchiha only spun with it before aiming a kick at his stomach. Leaping backwards once again, Hashirama racked his brain for a subtle way to get out of this situation before he could no longer avoid a real battle, but just as the thought crossed his mind, something was thrown onto the ground in front of him.

Both men jumped back right as the object exploded and thick black smoke clouded their eyes.

Realizing he only had a moment before Izuna's sharingan saw through the smoke, Hashirama leapt out of the clearing and onto a tall branch, and noticing that his brother had the same idea, continued retreating deeper into the forest.

"That was some quick thinking back there." Hashirama grinned at his brother, offering a thumbs up. "I was starting to get worried about how that would end."

The pair had gotten away from Izuna and, after making sure they weren't being followed, were once again headed back towards their compound. Tobirama seemed concerned, however, as his brows had been drawn ever since they had emerged from the smoke bomb.

"It wasn't me."

Hashirama frowned in confusion.

"It… wasn't you?" He repeated slowly. "I mean, I only saw it for a second but it looked exactly like one of our smoke bombs." He recalled glimpsing the small gray orb just as it hit the ground at his feet, right before it exploded.

"There was someone else there, I saw them out of the corner of my eye." Tobirama shook his head in frustration.

"You did? Did you see what they looked like?"

He shook his head again.

"It was a blur, they were fast."

"That's odd…" Hashirama hummed, unable to think of any reason someone would intervene like that. "We'll have to figure it out later, right now let's just focus on getting home."

* * *

"Aguri, how did the meeting go?" a young brunette asked as the said woman entered the room.

"As planned. Tobirama-san just asked for an update on the patient." the old woman, Aguri, answered, easing herself into a chair.

"Speaking of which, Ina's testing the samples we took yesterday." the brunette nodded towards the adjacent room.

Through the opened door, she could see a woman, a number of years her senior, staring intently at something on the table in front of her while a machine beeped softly just out of sight.

Aguri glanced around the room; five beds draped with cream silk sheets sat all in a row along one side of the room, just over a foot of space between each. On the opposite wall were shelves stocked with all types of medical supplies, from gloves to glassware to disinfectants. Next to the shelves stood the door that lead into the smaller connected room, a workspace that was empty save for a filing cabinet and two large desks opposite each other.

"Tsuchi, where are the other two?" she asked.

"Kumi and Sute? They're meeting with Imada-sama." Tsuchi, the younger, replied.

"I thought we gave him an update a few days ago."

"We did, I have no idea what they're talking about." she shrugged.

As if on cue, the door slid open and two middle aged women, presumably Kimi and Sute, stepped into the room, but before anyone could ask them about their meeting, Kimi, the shorter of the two, spoke up.

"He wants to speak to us. All of us." she announced, bearing a rather grim expression.

"Is something wrong?" Agari asked with concern.

"He'll explain." Sute stated shortly, motioning for her to follow as she turned and started back down the hall.

Ina, who had poked her head out from the smaller room, exchanged worried glances with the other two before quickly shuffling after Sute.

The team of five weaved through the halls at a brisk pace, not a word exchanged between them. Upon arriving at the familiar office door, Sute knocked twice before entering.

Toru looked up from the scattered papers on his desk and gave the women a small smile, motioning for them to sit down.

"I'm glad all of you are here." he greeted as Agari closed the door behind her.

"You asked to speak with us?"

"Yes, now it's very important that you keep this quiet, alright? Nothing we discuss today can leave this room."

The women, now slightly suspicious, glanced at each other before nodding slowly.

"Excellent. Well, as you know, it's been a number of months since you've come here and you still haven't been able to improve my friend's condition. I had hoped to see at least some progress by now."

"Sir, we just need a bit more time, she-"

"As I said upon your arrival, time is not on our side for this one. But that's why I called you here today. Seeing as our efforts so far have been fruitless, I'd like to try a new treatment method…"

He unrolled a length of parchment and lay it out on his desk for the women to see.

Agari stared at the worn scroll in disbelief.

"...s-sir, there's no way we can do that." She looked up at him wide-eyed.

"I know it sounds bad, but it's possible that this can buy her some more time. At the rate she's deteriorating, I would say she only has a decade left at the very most, this can give her a few more years which would be absolutely invaluable to us." Toru explained, gesturing to the faded page filled with diagrams and scrawled text.

"No, no, sir, this is far too risky for Miss Aroka." Sute shook her head adamantly. "There's no telling how she would respond to a new stimulus like this, it can cause panic and disorientation and it can make her unpredictable."

"Have you done an operation like this before?" Toru questioned.

"Not on a patient with her condition."

"Then there's no reason to think she'll react so negatively to it. Even if she does, I'll assign additional security to her so she doesn't do anything to hurt herself." He shrugged.

"Sir, the risk is far too great at this point. If we do this now and she ends up reacting badly to it, that's a decade less time than she would have had. Please, if you really think this can work, wait until her condition progresses some more. At that point, trying this procedure would be worth it regardless of her reaction." Ina reasoned.

Toru gazed down at the old scroll, remaining silent for a moment before sighing loudly.

"Alright, I see your point. We'll wait." he finally agreed. "Well, that's all, you're dismissed."

The five quickly stood and bowed before swiftly filing out of the office.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Tsuichi yelled once they were out of earshot. Her brows were knit, bewildered at the man's logic. "He really thinks he knows anything about operations like that?"

"Calm down, people are illogical when they're desperate. He just wants to help his friend." Kimi chided. "I'm sure he meant well."

"I doubt it." Tsuichi scoffed. "And did you see those diagrams? Whoever thought that up was an amateur at best, there's no way they knew what they were doing."

"I agree, but at least we talked him out of it. Maybe he'll take the time to think it over and realize how bad an idea it is." Ina sighed in exasperation.

As they bickered, Agari remained silent, barely aware of the conversation around her. Her mind was stuck on that scroll. Disturbing as they were, she wasn't much concerned with the diagrams, it was the words that struck her. For some reason, reading those scribbled notes gave her the unsettling impression that whoever wrote them weren't describing something that might be tested, but rather something that already had been.

* * *

A young man silently watched the young attendant from high up on one of the courtyard's trees. He watched her stand dutifully in front of the double screen doors, still and unmoving. For a woman who wasn't a shinobi, she certainly had impressive composure.

"Mila."

The man heard the faint voice from behind the doors call out. He watched as the brunette turned and opened the screen partially, just enough for him to catch a glimpse of the person he was really interested in.

The woman inside, who was seated in the center of the dark room, said something indistinguishable to the attendant who nodded in response before walking off in the direction of what he came to know as the center of the compound.

Even from his distance, the young man could tell the room was absolutely flooded with chakra, amounts that would be formidable even among high ranking shinobi. He had not observed anyone else in the reclusive clan having such large reserves.

_'This must be what the boss is looking for.'_

The woman didn't seem to do much, in fact she hadn't even left that room since he began watching her two days ago. He wondered why this would be the case; she didn't seem to have any duties of a shinobi nor those of a clan leader, but she was clearly important enough to have a personal attendant as well as receive regular visits from the clan head.

Who was she, exactly?

It was only when the sky began to dim did he notice how much time had passed.

He stood up from his position and leapt away, landing on a tree just outside of the main compound. Quickly, the young man made his way out of the village through the scattered treetops and continued through the forest, zipping through the steadily thickening foliage as if he didn't notice it at all.

* * *

A large set of gates came into view. The young man approached and, nodding at the guards in recognition, slipped into the large, imposing compound behind them.

He wove through the heavy afternoon crowds, making a beeline for what was certainly the largest, most impressive building in the village.

He entered the traditional wooden structure, taking numerous twists and turns, and found himself in front of a formidable wooden door.

Knocking twice, he heard a deep 'come in' sound from inside.

Pushing open the heavy mahogany door, the man bowed deeply before daring to speak.

"Sir, I believe I've found the person you're looking for." he reported.

The figure behind the desk stared expectantly.

"There's an woman who lives inside the Imada main compound with an unusually large chakra reserve and strange behavior. She's also had recent contact with Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, as you said."

The man smirked and leaned back in his chair.

"Hashirama you sneaky bastard…" he muttered snidely. "Well done, Nao, you're dismissed."

"If I may ask, Madara-sama," the younger man spoke carefully, "Is she an ally of the Senjus?"

Madara smiled humorlessly, a mischievous glint crossing his eyes.

"For now."


	7. Early Morning Encounters

"Mila."

"Yes, Miss?"

"What time is it?"

"It's dawn, the sun's just rising."

"You're early."

"I woke up a while ago, I thought I would just come out."

Aroka blinked lazily, pale brown eyes boring into green ones.

"You're never early." she tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

Mila smiled sheepishly, slightly embarrassed she had been caught.

"How did you know?" she asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Just a guess." Aroka shrugged, waving her in. "Sit down, what's on your mind?"

Mila stepped into the dark room, unbothered by the warm wash of chakra, and gently shut the door behind her. She took a seat in front of the low table.

"I've... just been thinking about my parents." Mila sighed, staring at her lap.

"You haven't seen them in a while."

"Three years. I was hoping you might be able to tell how they're doing." she glanced up timidly.

"You could ask them yourself, you know. They only live a few minutes away."

Mila shook her head.

"You know Toru doesn't like it when I leave the compound. Besides, I'm not going to leave you alone."

"Then we'll go together, if he asks just tell him it was my idea, he won't say anything." Aroka smiled. "What do you say?"

"Are you sure? But you won't be able to see." Mila frowned, knowing her friend never used chakra outside. The previous clan leader, when he thought Aroka wasn't around, would often complain about how strange her chakra felt, something the young seer took to heart. She was around twelve when she stopped using her chakra outside and, by no coincidence, also began spending less time away from her room.

"I'll be fine! Besides, you'll be there to make sure I don't walk into a wall, right?" Aroka chuckled cheerfully. "Come on, let's go!"

Aroka bounced up from her seat and walked over to Mila, playfully waving for her to hurry.

The pair started towards the door and, just before they stepped into the walkway, Aroka paused, recollecting her chakra from the room.

Instantly, the vague outlines of the interior disappeared from her mind, leaving her in a state of true blindness.

Aroka felt a warm hand curl around her arm and softly urge her forward.

"I've got you." Mila's voice reassured.

Nodding with determination, Aroka stepped into the walkway and turned in step with her friend, both of them heading towards the compound's main exit.

For the blind seer, each sightless step was careful and hesitant. She was used to being able to make out a general picture of her surroundings by the way her chakra molded around objects, and having that taken away was… uncomfortable. But that didn't matter. Mila wanted to see her parents and Aroka was determined to help her.

After what felt like an eternity, the pair finally stepped foot outside. Aroka felt the warm light from the morning sun envelop her, almost making her forget about the cold autumn air.

"You don't have to do this, you know." Mila reminded as they continued their leisurely walk into the quiet town.

"You wouldn't have gone alone." Aroka nudged her playfully, earning a chuckle from the woman.

A comfortable silence settled between the two, and by the time they arrived at Mila's old home, the sun had crept a bit higher into the sky, now fully illuminating the small, aged building.

Mila stared at the house warily, almost unsure if she should be here at all.

"Don't start having second thoughts now." Aroka teased, patting her back. "Go."

The brunette gave a nervous smile before taking a few steps towards the house.

"Hm?" She turned back upon noticing Aroka wasn't following her. "What's wrong?"

"I'd better stay out here. Your parents don't like me very much, remember?" the seer smiled at the memory of what happened last time she met Mila's parents.

"What? I can't leave you by yourself. What if something happens?"

"Hey, I'm blind, not a baby. Besides, I can see danger from a mile away." she grinned, bringing a finger to her head. "I'll be fine, don't worry about a thing." She gave her a light push in the direction of the old house.

Hesitantly, Mila turned and continued forward. Once she reached the door, she knocked lightly before glancing back at her friend who, much to her surprise, was nowhere in sight.

A middle aged man with short white hair opened the door.

"...Mila? Is that you?" he squinted. "My goodness! What are you doing here? Come in, come in! Honey, come quick! Mila's here!" he called before eagerly sweeping her inside.

Aroka smiled as she watched her friend's line meet her father's, then her mother's. From the motion of the three lines, the small family seemed to have sat down together. They do have quite a bit to catch up on.

Mila came to the main household when she was very young. Aroka remembered seeing a new white line enter her focus that day, she watched it curiously as it crossed with those of the housekeeper, the head maid, and a number of other servants in the household. The compound didn't get many visitors so this was a curious situation for the young seer. After following the line labelled "Mila Imada" for a while, she concluded that this girl must be a new servant. This was reaffirmed when she traced the line back; her family seemed to associate mostly with the clan's less affluent members which suggested that they were rather poor and, from the look of her parent's lines, they both worked long hours, leaving little time to care for their young daughter.

For as long as Mila had been with the main family, she had been an excellent worker: always diligent, hardworking, and devoted. Aroka had always liked her and being so close in age was a big bonus too; it was nice to have someone to talk to, even if that someone was essentially obligated to listen.

Aroka refocused her vision back onto the present day where she watched as Mila's line shifted mildly with her parents. A small distance away sat her own line, trailing a straight path as the few that were around it moved in smooth curves. She could hear the soft chatter of passersby as they went about their morning walks and errands.

It was still rather early so there weren't too many lines around at the moment, which is why she noticed immediately when a new one entered her vision, one that definitely stood out.

"Hello miss, sorry to bother you but do you happen to know where the main compound is?" a soft masculine voice asked.

From the position of his line, she could tell he was right next to her.

"I'm sorry, I don't." she half lied. "Are you looking for someone in particular?"

"Yes, I'm supposed to meet with Imada Toru. He wanted to discuss a trade deal he'd proposed." the man answered.

"Is that so? How interesting." she smiled, tilting her head. "What's your name?"

"Takahashi Yuuto." he replied. "And you?"

"...Takahashi Yuuto…" Aroka repeated, ignoring the question. "I didn't know the Takahashi clan was interested in our silks. If I remember correctly, they always favored trading for weapons from the southern lands." she mused, tapping a finger to her chin.

The man paused.

"There has been a greater demand for luxury products in my clan, our leader is looking to trade for a number of such goods, including your clan's silk." he responded after a moment.

"Ah, I see. So you're not looking for the seer." she hummed, nodding slowly.

"Seer?"

"Oh, it's just that two men from another clan came here a few months ago looking for our clan's seer." Aroka shrugged nonchalantly. "Or so I've heard anyways."

"Really? I didn't know there was a seer in the Imada clan."

"It's a bit of a secret. I'm not sure how those two found out, really."

"What clan were they from?"

"Hm… I can't seem to remember." she shrugged.

"It must be interesting to have a seer in your clan. That must be why your village has been able to avoid war for so long."

"Oh, of course. Our seer has some very fascinating abilities, you know. She can predict the future, see the past, foretell events… Oh! And she can see the names of everyone she comes across! That's pretty useful, being able to tell if someone is lying about who they are," she smiled frigidly. "Don't you think?"

There was a pause before a deep chuckle broke the silence.

"You might be worthwhile after all."

The man's voice had changed, colder and deeper than before. Aroka had to keep herself from shuddering at the ice in his tone.

"What do you want, Uchiha?"

"Hm… it almost seems as if you don't like me." His voice radiated amusement. "Despite what those Senju imbeciles may have lead you to believe, I'm not a bad person."

"Try convincing yourself first." she sneered, though it only drew a smirk from him.

"You know, I could kill you right now." he taunted, leaning closer and picking up a strand of long black hair. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Have you already forgotten how the whole 'seer' thing works? If you were going to kill me do you think I would have come here?"

"Fair enough. And seeing as you know so much, I'm sure you're aware of why I'm here."

"It's not that hard to guess, there's only one reason for someone like you to come to me."

"And what might that be?"

"You want my help, the only question is what for?"

"Smart girl. I want to know what you've been telling the Senjus."

"Hm… it's been so long since they last came to visit that I can't seem to remember."

"I think we both know that's not true. Whatever they're paying you, I can double it."

"Tough luck, they're not paying me anything."

"Then why are you helping them?"

"They're working towards something good."

"And what might that something be?"

"There's no reason to ask when you already know, after all, Hashirama came to you about it long before he came to me." Aroka stood up and brushed herself off. She turned to meet his eyes, or at least where she thought his eyes were. "Well as much as I've enjoyed our conversation, Madara, I have to get going now."

Just then, a nearby door clicked open and the sounds of cheerful voices spilled through.

"Come back soon, dear! Take care of yourself!"

"I will, bye Mom, bye Dad!"

Mila's line curved towards Aroka's as she approached.

"Sorry to keep you wait- who's this?" she asked upon spotting an unfamiliar man standing a little too close to her friend.

"He was just asking for directions. Sorry I couldn't be of any help." Aroka said, directing the later half to the man next to her. "We should get going, good luck with your travels." she smiled as the man excused himself.

Mila gently grasped the younger woman's arm, her eyes following the stranger's retreating back.

"Let's go." Aroka nudged her, snapping her back into reality.

"Oh, right."

The pair turned and started back towards the main compound.

"How did it go with your parents?"

"They were glad to see me." Mila glanced behind them; the man was nowhere in sight.

"Good, you should visit more often."

"Toru wouldn't be too happy if I did."

"He won't say anything if I'm with you."

"You don't like going outside, remember?" Mila reminded with a chuckle.

"Well it's nice to get some fresh air once in a while. Besides, I thought I should enjoy all of it while I still can."

"Hey, don't say that, you're going to be fine."

"It's going to happen sooner or later, I just want to live normally for as long as I can."

Mila glanced at her friend in concern.

"Anyways, Toru is going to be home in just a few minutes, if we hurry we can beat him there!" Aroka smiled, pulling Mila behind her as she began running.

"Hey! Slow down! You're going to hurt yourself!" she laughed as she held onto her arm, running alongside her friend as they dashed back towards the compound.


	8. A Secret Outing

_Lord Tobirama,_

_I apologize for sending this letter outside of our usual schedule of correspondence, but we have urgent news regarding the patient._

_Just a few hours ago, my team was called in by Lord Imada who proposed we conduct an operation on the patient; a dangerous, crude operation that would certainly have done more harm than good. Though we were able to talk him out of it for now, he seems intent on doing everything possible to help cure the patient, even if it involves severe damage to her being. Lord Toru, though we see very little of him, seems to be growing more and more concerned about the patient and we suspect it will continue like this if her condition does not improve, in which case he may inadvertently harm her in some way._

_The procedure he proposed would have likely made her very unstable and therefore very unpredictable, under these conditions her abilities would no longer be of any use to you._

_We will keep a close eye on Imada-sama and try to prevent any poor decisions on his part._

_Agari_

Tobirama leaned back into his chair as the words registered. Agari, being the oldest medic in the war-stricken clan, had seen no shortage of medical operations in her time: from the morally gray to the thoroughly unethical, he had thought nothing would be able to phase the old bat anymore. What was this procedure that Toru had proposed? He would have to ask her about it next time he visited the Imada village, something that would unfortunately have to happen later than planned. Hashirama seemed to have caught something and was now sick enough that the day-long journey was no longer an option. Though he had been assured that it was only a mild cold, with Mito visiting her family in Uzushiogakure and Tobirama's general mistrust of other people, he had decided it was best to stay put until his brother recovered, meaning they wouldn't be able to leave for the Imada village tomorrow as planned.

He was just about to write a letter to seer explaining they wouldn't be able to make it before nearly smacking himself upon realizing how pointless that would be.

* * *

"Mila, I want to take a walk."

The brunette turned towards her friend who sat on the other side of the open door.

"What? Really?" she blinked in disbelief. "Do you… need something? I can get it for you."

"No, I don't need anything."

"Are you looking for someone?"

"No."

"Are you bored? I can-"

"Mila, I just want to take a walk." Aroka smiled. "Is it really so strange?"

"I can't remember the last time you asked to go outside... but if you want to then let's go."

Aroka smiled at her friend and stood up, stepping out of her room and leaving it void of its usual chakra cloak. She felt a hand softly grip her arm and the two made their way out of the compound in a comfortable silence.

"It's getting cold, isn't it?" the younger woman glanced up at the sky, unseeing.

"This year's first snow should be coming any day now. We always get far too much of it during the wintertime though, maybe it'll be lighter this year."

"Hopefully, last year the snow nearly made the roof collapse!"

"It almost did! You warned the housekeeper about it though, I remember you didn't want Toru to know about it since you had Detailed to find out."

"Too bad she told him that same day and I got yelled at for my good deed." Aroka huffed indignantly. "Saved two people's lives and not even a 'thank you'."

"You know how he is, he worries."

"He worries a little too much if you ask me."

"Don't be so hard on him, he's only trying to watch out for you."

"Yea, yea. You know, Mila, sometimes I think you're too nice for your own good." she nudged her friend jokingly.

"Hey! I am not!" =

"Whatever you say…" Aroka chuckled amusedly.

"Hmph. Where are we going anyways? We've been walking for a while."

"Where are we right now?"

"We just passed the old stone fountain."

"Just a little further, then."

It was another twenty minutes of scattered conversation before Aroka came to a stop, brows furrowed as her eyes darted around.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Hm? What is it?"

"I… I think someone's been injured." she turned towards the left, pulling Mila along with her.

Just as the pair took their first few steps towards Aroka's unknown destination, a faint sound drifted to Mila's ears.

"It sounds like someone crying." she frowned and quickened her pace.

Following the noise, the women approached a few rows of hedges and soon came upon a young boy.

The boy, no more than twelve years old, was sitting on the ground and bawling profusely. His right knee was scraped and bleeding, dirt covering the front of his clothing.

"Oh dear, what happened to you?" Mila asked, rushing up to the boy.

"I w-was chasing a r-rabbit and I fell!" he managed in between sobs.

Mila's brows furrowed in concern and she carefully examined the boy's knee. He must have landed on something hard since a faint bruise was already beginning to form. Though there were only a few scratches, one of which was bleeding steadily, she was sure the area would begin to swell soon.

"Don't cry, you'll be okay. Where are your parents? I'll bring you to them."

"M-My house is pretty f-far away." his cries had turned into sniffs now.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. Can you stand?"

The boy hesitantly pulled himself off the ground, careful not to lean on his injured leg too much.

Mila leaned down and draped one of his arms over her shoulder. She glanced back at Aroka and called for her to follow.

"I better stay here, you'll be able to get him back faster if you don't have to worry about me."

"Are you sure? Will you be ok?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'll be right here, just get him to his parents quickly." Aroka motioned for her to go.

Though reluctant, Mila agreed and they started off in the direction the boy was pointing.

"Why were you all the way out there? You need to be careful when you're so far from home." she chided.

After a few minutes of strained hobbling and muffled cries, the boy finally pointed towards a distant row of houses.

"I live right over there." he sniffed quietly.

"Alright, you'll be home soon, just a little further."

The two quickly reached the group of small houses and approached the one the boy had pointed out.

"Young man! Where have you been! You'r father and I were worried sick!" A middle aged woman dashed out of the house before they could even climb the front steps. She gasped upon noticing his disheveled state. "Dear! What happened to you!?"

"S-Sorry mom, I fell when I was playing by the bushes." the boy's eyes were glued to the ground.

"I told you always to be careful when we're not around! Come here, let's get you inside." She took him from Mila's arms before turning to her in exasperation, bowing deeply. "Thank you so much for helping him home. I don't know how I can repay you."

"No need for that, I'm just glad he's going to be ok." she smiled. "If you would excuse me, I have to get back to my friend." she bowed slightly before turning and heading back the way she came.

Walking at a brisk pace, Mila made it back to where she'd found the boy in just five minutes.

"Miss, I'm back!" she called out.

Glancing around the garden, she couldn't see her friend.

"Miss?"

* * *

Aroka sat on a large rock at the edge of the forest, eyes closed and humming softly.

She was a good distance outside the village gates which, from where she was, were obscured by a small hill. It had been a while since she'd last left the village confines and she was glad to be in a place devoid of people as it meant she could once again use her chakra.

The scattering of small trees that lay behind her grew to form a dense forest as she spread her chakra deeper into it. The trees' canopies were thinning out in preparation for the coming winter and the forest floor was covered in a blanket of leaves that must have been a beautiful sight to see.

In front of her was a plain field that stretched all the way up the hill and to the distant village gate. The grass continued rolling to the left and right further than she could ever know.

Aroka hadn't had a view like this in a long time. It must have been years since she last stepped foot outside those gates. It was just a shame she wasn't here for the scenery.

"Do you want to come down? It's going to be pretty hard to talk if you're all the way up there." she called, eyes still closed.

She felt a slight movement near the edge of her radius, then, in a split second, a human-shaped disturbance shifted the chakra right behind her.

"How long have you known I was here?" a deep voice questioned.

"I could  _feel_  you the moment you got here but I could  _see_  you coming from miles away."

"See? What can you see?"

"Why are you here, Madara?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"You're the seer, you tell me."

Aroka smiled in amusement.

"You know, you remind me of Tobirama. He's said those exact words to me before."

She could see his face twist into a frown.

"Do not compare me to that weakling." he warned sharply.

"I don't know, he might be stronger than you think." she shrugged halfheartedly. "But anyways, back to why you're here. I'm going to take a  _wild guess_  and say you want something from me. What is it?" She turned to face him, pale eyes meeting red ones.

"How have you been helping the Senjus?" he asked simply.

"They come to me with questions, I answer them."

"What questions have they asked?"

"Well there's been so many, I can't quite remember."

"Do not test my patience."

"If you're wondering whether I've been helping them in the war, the answer is no."

"Lies. Why would they need your help if not for the war?"

Aroka sighed impatiently.

"Look. I'm going to let you in on a little secret so listen carefully." She cleared her throat and lowered her voice dramatically.  _"There's no reason for me to help either side in your war."_

Madara's frown deepened and his eyes gleamed dangerously.

"If so, what have the Senjus been coming to you for?"

"I can't tell you."

His eyes narrowed.

"I can't tell you because if I do, we won't get the right outcome."

The Uchiha studied her expression for a moment before turning around with a scoff.

"Useless..." He started back towards the forest, arms crossed.

"But I could give you some advice you might be interested in."

He stopped and glared at the woman.

"You have to answer a question for me first, though." Aroka smiled invitingly.

"Ask."

Her grin widened with satisfaction.

"All my life people have been uncomfortable around my chakra, shinobi especially. You didn't hesitate to come near me and it doesn't seem to bother you at all. Why?"

Madara smirked in amusement.

"Your chakra might be strong but it's untrained, in battle it would be next to useless. You pose no threat to me." he stated simply.

"That was harsh." she blinked at his response. "But I suppose that's what I should have expected. Well, a deal's a deal so here's my advice: go find Izuna."

Madara paused.

"What?"

"Go find Izuna" Aroka repeated. "I would hurry if I were you."

Madara, though suspicious of the woman's true intentions, turned and sped off into the forest, directly towards the western border of Uchiha territory where he knew Izuna would be.

As questionable as that woman was, he wouldn't take any chances when it came to his brother.

* * *

"Aroka!"

The woman flinched at the booming shout that called her name.

"Where in the world have you been!? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Toru ran up to her, grasping her shoulders and inspecting her for any sign of injury.

"I was barely gone for an hour, calm down."

"Something could have happened to you! You could have been hurt!"

"I'm fine, really. I can take care of myself."

"You can't just wander off like that, Aroka. Mila has been panicking for the last hour, running around everywhere looking for you."

"Ok, ok, I'll go find her. Just relax, I'm fine."

"No, I'll send someone to get her, you should wait for her in your room, ok?"

Aroka frowned.

"You do know I'm not a child, right?"

"Please?" he smiled his most convincing smile.

With a sigh, she reluctantly gave in, brushing past him and starting the trek to her room.

The only way for her to have been able to speak to Madara was to sneak out without raising any alarms. After playing with the timeline and carefully considering her options, she found that the best way to get out of the compound was with Mila's help, after that she just had to find a way to slip out from her friend's watchful eye.

It all worked out exactly as she'd planned, only now she had to deal with the inevitable earful she would get from Toru for the next few weeks.

' _Its for the greater good.'_  she reassured herself, already feeling a headache coming.


	9. Shenanigans

"It's been a while since you've been by, Tobirama," Aroka greeted cheerfully as the said man entered the room, her eyes not quite meeting his.

"Hashirama has other business to tend to, he sends his regards," the Senju stated flatly, taking a seat across from the woman. Much to his relief, she had kept her suffocating chakra away from him again.

"I don't know if I would call taking care of a toddler 'business' but ok…" she shrugged. "So what brings you back here?"

"The Uchihas have been acting more offensively than usual. We've suffered two ambushes in the past week as well as a raid on one of our supply lines. We need to know why they've become more aggressive and what they're planning next," he explained.

"Ah the Uchihas, I've noticed their bold actions lately. I'd like to help you, I really would, but you're not very good at listening to my advice, are you?" Aroka tilted her head pointedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Last time I told you that if you wanted peace, one thing you  _absolutely_   _could not do_ was kill Izuna."

"So?"

"So why were you fighting him just a few weeks ago?"

"We only clashed briefly when he wounded one of my generals. I wouldn't have killed him."

"Actually you would have," she countered accusingly, "And bad things would have happened because of it. Thankfully I sent Madara there before you could-"

"You what?" he interrupted, eyes narrowing, "You know Madara?"

"He came looking for me again and-"

" _Again_? You've met him more than once?"

"Calm down, that was only the second time. I had to convince him to go find Izuna before _you_ could ruin our chances at peace."

"Why did he come looking for you?"

"He wanted to know if I was helping you and Hashirama in the war."

"Does he know about your abilities?"

"Mhm. Sent one of his men to spy on me a few weeks ago. I'm still not quite sure where he first learned about me, though."

"If he knew we had been in contact with you then he must have been watching us as well, we need to find out how he's been doing so... What else did he say to you?"

The woman didn't respond, not seeming to hear the question, instead her eyes were darting randomly around the room.

"Aroka, what else did he-"

"Shhhhh!" she held a hand up. For a moment, her eyes seemed to trace an invisible line.

Suddenly, she leapt to her feet and made a beeline for the door, pulling him up as she did so.

"What are you-"

"This way!"

She swung open the door and gave Mila a nod before sprinting in the other direction, still keeping a solid grip on Tobirama's arm.

They sped through the wooden walkways, dodging the occasional servant as they ran much faster than he thought she was capable of. They had made at least half a dozen turns before the woman stopped in front of a faded sliding door. Pushing it open, she dragged both herself and her confused companion inside before slamming it shut behind them.

The first thing Tobirama noticed was that they were in a storage room; the space was filled almost entirely with wooden spinning wheels in different states of disuse. Although the room itself was not particularly small, the dust-covered wheels took up most of the area, leaving only a few feet of open space by the door.

He watched Aroka's eyes dart around sporadically before she breathed a loud sigh of relief.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm in here?" he raised an eyebrow at the out-of-breath woman.

"When I went to speak with Madara a few weeks ago, I couldn't let anyone know so I had to sneak away from Mila in order to get to him. When she realized I was gone, she went to Toru for help. Now, Toru's always been a little overprotective but he  _really_  didn't like me going off on my own, ever since then he's been lecturing me about "the dangers of being alone outside" whenever he gets the chance."

"And what does that have to do with hiding in a closet?"

"He just came back from a trip to another village, he's looking for me right now and I am  _not_ going to risk getting trapped in another one of his speeches," she huffed in determination, "No one ever uses this closet, especially not Toru, there's no way he'd think to look here."

"He's right. You shouldn't have gone to speak to Madara."

"He doesn't know I spoke to him, he just thinks I wandered off."

"Regardless, it could have been dangerous."

Aroka blinked and turned to him incredulously.

"Not you too..." she groaned, "I wouldn't have gone if it was going to be dangerous. Plus, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"If you had gotten hurt, would you have been able to tell ahead of time?" he asked with arms crossed, already knowing the answer.

"...no... but I didn't get hurt! Besides, I wouldn't have had to go find him in the first place if you'd stayed away from Izuna like I told you to," she countered sharply.

Tobirama sighed, shaking his head.

"Fine, just tell me what I'm supposed to do about the Uchihas' attacks," he stated, only vaguely remembering why he was here in the first place.

"Don't do anything, I'll take care of it. They'll stop soon as long as you don't ignore my advice _again_ ," she glared, "That being said, you're not going to encounter him again for quite a while, so don't go looking for trouble and you'll be fine."

"Hn. Is there anything else I should know?"

Aroka's eyes flickered around for a moment.

"Oh, this might be something," she realized, eyes landing on an invisible spot, "But I can't say anything else until I take a closer look at it."

Tobirama nodded, though not quite sure of why that was, and turned his attention towards the door.

"When can we leave?"

"It'll be a while."

"How long?"

"You should probably make yourself comfortable," she smiled sheepishly before taking a seat on one of the dusty stools.

Sighing audibly, Tobirama reluctantly followed suit, settling on one of the many small wooden seats behind him.

"So how has Hashirama been doing?" Aroka asked curiously.

"The child is taking up most of his attention these days. He has paid little mind to the affairs of our clan."

"I assume you do most of the work, huh?"

"Unfortunately."

"That's too bad, being busy all the time… How is your clan liking our silks?"

"The villagers seem enjoy them. The monthly auctions have become quite the spectacle."

"They must be selling quite well then! Have you tried one yourself?"

"No. I have no interest in such things."

"Oh come on, they're really nice."

"Regardless, I have no use for them."

"You're no fun, Tobirama."

"So I've been told."

Aroka chuckled amusedly, moving to rest a hand under her chin.

"What do you think a village made by the Senju and Uchiha will look like?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know."

"I'd like to think it's full of life and color. Most clans can barely tolerate being near each other, much less living together, but I think Hashirama's vision would be a step towards changing that."

"I suppose that could be the case."

"You should have more faith in your brother, you know. His idea is a good one."

"Hn."

Aroka smiled and shook her head at her stubborn friend.

A comfortable silence fell between them. As the minutes ticked by they could see the light outside begin to dim, it wasn't quite nighttime yet but the moon couldn't have been far off.

After an unidentifiable amount of time in the dim, dusty closet, Aroka's eyes snapped to the door and she stood up abruptly.

"It's safe now!" she declared, sliding it open eagerly.

She was mid-step out of the room when she froze, suddenly remembering something.

"What is it?" Tobirama glanced at her questioningly.

"I… don't know how to get back..."

"What?"

"I only knew how to get here because I used my chakra to see, but now I don't know how to get back."

"Why don't you just use your chakra again?"

"Well the thing is… I'm not really supposed to be using it outside at all. It makes a lot of people uncomfortable, especially shinobi, so it became sort of an unspoken rule that I'm not supposed to use it outside my room. That's why Mila's always around, she can run errands for me so I don't have to wander around blindly.

"Toru enforces this rule?"

"Not really but the elders do. They have servants report to them if they see, or I guess, feel me using chakra anywhere besides my room. They always give me the same long speech when they catch me doing it, so I just try to avoid it all together."

"How are we going to get back, then?" he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You're going to have to help me out," she smiled, curling a hand around his arm, "Describe what you see and I'll do my best to remember the way back."

Tobirama glanced down questioningly at the light grip she had on him and, after considering his options, decided to go along with her plan.

Turning left, the direction Aroka was sure they had come from, the two started down the empty hallway.

Every time they passed an intersecting path, archway, statue, or anything else of note, Tobirama would point it out and Aroka would decide which direction to continue in.

...

"There's a large ceramic vase to the left."

"What's on it?"

"An image of a silkmaker."

"Mm, I don't remember one like that…"

...

"There's an open doorway ahead, it seems to lead to a garden."

"...I definitely don't remember that…"

…

Just a few minutes in, the pair sighed simultaneously, now keenly aware that they were rather lost.

"We aren't getting any closer to Mila, we might be going the wrong- oh! There's someone coming this way! Let's ask them!"

True to her word, a young woman stepped into view just ahead of them, a basket of herbs balanced in her arms.

"Kishi!" Aroka waved the girl over enthusiastically, "Excuse me, but do you know what part of the compound we're in?"

The woman looked a bit surprised but bowed respectfully nonetheless.

"This is the South wing, Miss, we're just outside the infirmary."

Aroka tilted her head.

"Infirmary? We must have really gotten off course," she chuckled, slightly embarrassed, "Which way leads back to the central courtyard?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know. I've only ever worked in this part of the building," she bowed her head apologetically.

"Oh, that's ok, thanks for your help! Come on, let's keep looking," She tugged on Tobirama's arm and the two continued off in their original direction.

An hour had passed and the sun had nearly disappeared, the two had still yet to find Aroka's room. The compound must have been designed as a maze, seeing that none of the areas they came upon seemed familiar to her. Tobirama had no idea the building was this big and, apparently, neither did she.

"You said there's a marble statue ahead? When did we start putting statues inside?" Aroka sighed in frustration as they blindly turned down yet another hallway, "I can see Mila's line but somehow we're not getting any closer…"

Tobirama, being the stoic man he was, didn't seem nearly as irritated by the situation.

Not on the outside at least.

...

"A bed of flowers is mounted on the wall."

"No clue."

…

"A garden with a pond at the center."

"Didn't know that existed."

…

"A row of paintings hanging on the right."

"Nope."

...

"A stone fountain in the center of the hallway."

"Wait," Aroka stopped suddenly, eyes widening, "A fountain…. is there a long crack at the base of it?"

Tobirama scanned the base quickly and, sure enough, there was a single, thin crack marring the lower side of the fountain.

"That's it! I got it! I know where we are!" she squealed, shaking his arm with pure excitement, "There should be a bend up ahead, then to right there's a bunch of doors, just past those is a connecting hall that leads to the courtyard that faces my room!" she breathed. "Come on! Let's go!"

As she had described, two rights and a courtyard later, the two had finally made it out of the maze, the familiar double doors in sight.

"Miss! Where have you been? It's been hours!" Mila gasped as they came into sight, quickly running up to the younger woman.

"We got a little lost," Aroka grinned sheepishly, "Sorry if we made you worry."

"No, no, I'm glad you're both ok," she smiled thankfully.

"Well, I think we should all turn in a little early today. Mila, please show Tobirama to his room, then you're free to retire for the day," Aroka smiled, letting go of his arm.

Mila nodded dutifully and motioned for the man to come with her.

After their footsteps faded down the hall, Aroka turned and stretched out an arm, feeling for the railing. With a few small shuffles her hand found the smooth wooden surface and, following it slowly, she stepped up the courtyard stairs towards her room.

The moment she entered, the space immediately flooded with chakra.

Aroka breathed a sigh of relief as her vision again filled with the familiar outlines.


	10. Secrets

The next day, Aroka awoke early, or at least she assumed it was early as most people seemed to be asleep.

She gazed over the clusters of little white lines before focusing on the area around her own.

The day wouldn't be very eventful. Much like most, she wouldn't be leaving her room today. In just a while, Mila's line would wake up and she would take her usual position outside the door. She'd be sent on a few errands later, though Aroka didn't yet know what they would be. The only line other line that would come close to hers that day would be Tobirama's; it seems they'd only speak for a short while, though. She wondered what it would be about.

Aroka stood and padded over to the door, sliding it open with a soft squeak. She took a deep breath as the cool morning air flowed in.

The young woman settled behind the small table and stared into the formless space that lay beyond her open door. She liked to keep it open whenever possible, even though she couldn't see past the doorframe.

Reaching underneath the little table, she brought out a rather faded book and opened it to where she'd left off. She didn't really need to read the book to know what it said, after all she had gone through it so many times before.

The thin book was titled "Yura Imada" and was bound by three discolored, faded strings.

Yura had lived nearly a century ago, born to the main family of the time. She lived a comfortable life, never having to labor in the fields or the silk shops. She had smooth brown hair that she'd kept short most her life and she was said to have been kind and soft-spoken.

But what about her would warrant a book detailing her life?

Only one thing, really. Yura was a seer.

Indeed, Yura Imada was the eighth seer born of her clan, a girl whose arrival was long awaited. Much like Aroka, Yura was born blind, her deep brown eyes developing a milky coat as she grew older.

Yura was taught to make use of her peculiar abilities by the elders of the clan, abilities that were particularly useful seeing as the Imada were in the middle of a decade-long war that was no longer in their favor.

The tides of the war changed quickly as Yura began to understand the meaning in the tangled mess of lines that lay behind her eyes. Under her advisement, the Imada shinobi eliminated spies, avoided traps, took out key leaders, burned supply lines, and ultimately won the war, against all odds. This was an enormous victory for the silkmakers, as their enemy had been a far more powerful clan, and with the resources gained from the ransom of a captured general, the Imada were able to expand and improve their small army which was already notably larger than its modern counterpart. This victory did not come without consequences, however. Due to excessive Detailing, Yura-

"Good morning Miss."

"Oh, good morning Mila." she looked up from the book and smiled.

"You know, I don't think I've ever actually seen you sleeping. How long have you been up?"

"Not too long, I slept rather well last night."

"You must have been tired from wandering around the compound for so long, I'm glad you could get some rest."

"I haven't been able to fall asleep so quickly in a long time. Maybe I should get lost more often." Aroka chuckled.

"The compound is certainly big enough for that." she grinned. "By the way, last night Senju-sama requested to speak to you as soon as you awoke, should I bring him here?"

"Not yet. I need find out a few things before we speak again, please close the door and send him away when he comes looking for me."

"Of course, Miss."

And with a quiet rustle, the door slid shut.

* * *

"Is she finished?" Tobirama asked with arms crossed.

"I'm afraid not, though I'm sure she won't be much longer." Mila bowed apologetically.

"That's what you said the last two times." he sighed, turning away yet again. "Just find me when she's ready."

It was already past noon and he had still not seen Aroka, having been sent away each time he'd approached her room. What could possibly be taking her so long?

Irritably pushing the thought from his mind, he occupied himself with a different task: finding Agari and the other medics.

Recalling the path to the medics' room that Samaru had shown him last time, he made his way through the maze-like corridors and soon found the women waiting for him.

"Tobirama-sama, please come in." Agari greeted warmly, ushering the shinobi into the room.

Scanning the room, he noted that the women all held troubled frowns on their faces.

"We have some peculiar news regarding the patient." Kimi stated reluctantly. "We've done many tests in our time here and the results are rather... strange. She doesn't have any genetic issues that would cause blindness, nor is the milkyness of her eyes significant enough to cause vision loss. Her eyes are able to move normally and react to light very well, the muscles around them also show no sign of weakness or degradation."

"So?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if she was really born completely blind as we've been told, it's incredibly unlikely we would have seen these results."

"Are you suggesting they have not been truthful about her condition?" he questioned.

Agari shook her head in apparent discomfort.

"It's possible but it's clear that they're desperate for a cure, they have no reason to lie to us. We've run the tests many times to ensure it wasn't a fluke, but the results are always the same. We don't know what to make of it, but according to the tests and everything else we've seen... Miss Aroka should be able to see just fine."

* * *

"Is she finished?" Tobirama asked for the fourth time that day. By then the sun was already touching the horizon.

Surprisingly, the answer was different this time.

"Yes, Miss Aroka is waiting for you." Mila bowed respectfully and slid the door open, stepping aside to let him pass.

Crossing into the room, he could feel the heavy chakra presence all around, though it was not quite touching him.

"Tobirama! What have you been up to all day?" Aroka grinned childishly up at him.

"I could ask you the same thing." he stated blandly, taking a seat in front of her.

"Oh don't be so serious all the time, I just had to be sure of a few things before we spoke." she explained. "Turns out you really don't have much to worry about for the next few weeks, the Uchiha attacks will die down and the war should carry on as it had. Things are going quite well as it currently stands and I don't believe that will change anytime soon. As long as you and Hashirama keep doing what you're doing, an alliance will be here in no time." Aroka smiled.

"It's that simple?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, on your part, yes."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it, just focus on yourself and everything else will fall into place."

"I certainly hope you're right."

"The lines don't lie."

"Hn."

"Now that's all out of the way, let's talk about something fun." she grinned, leaning forwards, chin resting on top of her hands. "What's the Senju village like?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to know what your home looks like."

"It's just like every other village."

"I haven't seen any other villages."

"You haven't  _seen_  any villages at all."

"Oh come on, you know what I meant."

"I can't say I do."

"You're a real prick, you know that?"

"Hn."

Aroka sighed, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Fine, but you have to tell me something about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

"Who else in your family has red eyes?"

Tobirama raised an eyebrow; what is it with this girl and eyes?

"No one."

"Then where'd you get it from?"

"How should I know?"

"Hmm…" Aroka tapped her chin, trying to think of something else to ask. "What do you look like?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"What? You never let my chakra touch you so I can't see what you look like."

"You've seen me before."

"Only when we first met and that was months ago."

"I refuse to discuss such a pointless topic."

"Rude."

"Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"What? You haven't answered any of mine yet!"

"Have you ever been able to use your eyes?"

"Hmph. If you mean have I ever been able to see, then no."

"You open your eyes instinctively, people who are born blind don't."

"I suppose being able to see with chakra imitates normal sight."

"It takes years to learn to use chakra, the natural tendency to keep your eyes closed would have already become habit by then."

She paused, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"What are you implying?" she asked, tone sharper than before.

"Have you been hiding anything from me?"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"No."

He clearly didn't believe her.

"What haven't you told me?" he demanded.

A long, stiff silence fell between them as they each stared the other down.

"I think it's time for you to leave." Aroka stated, a thin mask of calmness over her features.

"I want the truth."

The chakra in the room became heavier.

"Get out."

The two glared at each other for a long moment before Tobirama finally turned away. Scoffing, he stood and strode out of the room, opening the door with a harsh thud.

His footsteps faded down the hall.

Mila, having jumped at the man's sudden, swift exit, glanced back at her friend in concern.

"What happened? Are you ok?" she asked, surprised.

Aroka stared at the empty void beyond the door and, had it not been for a small scoff, Mila would have thought she hadn't heard her.

"Close the door, please." she said.

Now even more confused, Mila hesitated for a moment but, after another few concerned glances, reluctantly slid the door shut.

* * *

Aroka's eyes didn't move from the door for what felt like hours. A scattered train of thought circled endlessly in her head, over and over, again and again.

She stared at the lines that lay before her, looking for an answer, any answer.

It was never that easy.

She'd find an answer, just not now.

But she had to figure out what to do.

This wasn't good, it wasn't good at all.

Aroka pulled out a small book from under her desk along with a pen and a bottle of ink. She flipped it open to where she had last left off and began to scribble. Ramblings, mostly, but she had to write them down anyways.

Time became obsolete as the jumble of thoughts flowed into the paper. Everything else, including the white web and outlines of her room, blurred out of focus.

* * *

Mila glanced back at the closed door every so often, worried about what had happened. She had never seen Aroka look so… troubled. And Tobirama certainly didn't seem too happy when he left.

She sighed anxiously; she would ask her about it tomorrow, hopefully this wouldn't cause a rift between those two.

After another hour or so of silent concern, the light had almost completely disappeared and it was getting darker by the minute. This was Mila's cue to retire for the day.

Sighing and glancing back at the door one more time, the young woman started off towards her room that waited a hall away.

* * *

Something stirred Tobirama from his sleep that night.

Tiredly, he blinked a few times before scanning the room out of habit. Nothing was out of place.

He listened for any peculiar sounds but there were none either.

Strange, he didn't usually wake up during such odd hours.

It was another second before his eyes widened and he leapt to his feet. He threw open the door and stepped outside, how did he not notice it sooner?

It was the air.

The air was filled with smoke.

' _Aroka.'_

He didn't know why she was the first thing that came to mind and he didn't take the time to wonder, instead he sped down the hall and around the corner, making a beeline for the seer's room.

As he turned down the next hall, a plume of smoke came into view; it was rising from just behind the courtyard walls, a flickering glow near the bottom of the dark cloud. He had to cover his mouth and nose as the smoke around him grew thicker.

It only took a second to reach the familiar door. Throwing it open, he watched as a still-awake Aroka jumped in surprise, dropping the pen in her hand.

"What the- Tobirama? What are you-?"

"Get up, let's go!" he yelled, rushing towards her and pulling her up.

"What? Why?" she asked frantically as she stumbled out the door.

"The fire! Can't you smell it?"

He glanced around and quickly decided that the quickest way out was across the rooves.

Stepping into the courtyard, he put a hand around her waist and leapt onto the nearest roof. He dashed away from the growing cloud of smoke, tiles clinking underfoot each time they landed.

"Hey!" she gasped as they zipped through the air, clinging to him tightly. "What's happening? Where are we going?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, silencing her.

Just a moment later, the two made it to the edge of the compound near the entrance. There were already at least a dozen people gathered a distance away with more emerging from within the compound.

As they landed back on the ground, Tobirama set her down and glanced towards the fire that was blazing larger by the second.

He sighed in relief and turned his attention back to Aroka.

"Why didn't you get out earlier?" he demanded with brows drawn. "The fire was right across from your room!"

Aroka, who was still clinging onto him for dear life, didn't respond, her eyes darted around wildly as she tightened her grip on him.

"Aroka!" a voice called loudly. "Aroka! Are you ok?" Toru asked frantically as he ran up to the pair.

As he reached them, he stretched out a hand to comfort her only for her to jump and back away.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's just me." he said with hands raised, taking a careful step towards her.

"Toru?" she asked, eyes still searching for something unseen. "What's happening?"

"I'll explain, just come with me, ok?" he said soothingly, putting a hand on her back and slowly guiding her away from the gathering crowd.

Tobirama stared at their retreating backs, puzzled. Why was she so confused?

What was going on?

* * *

A few hours had passed and everything had calmed down a bit, the fire had been put out quickly, though the smoke still lingered in the air. Tobirama sat on a bench in a nearby garden as no one had been allowed back inside the compound yet. The sky was still pitch black with only the moon to offer any sort light. The stars were nowhere to be seen.

The crunching of footsteps made him look up and he was able to make out two approaching figures, both of which he recognized rather easily.

"Thanks Mila, I'll be fine from here."

"Ok, please be careful, Miss."

As one of the figures turned and walked away, the other reached out a hand to feel for the bench in front of her and slowly took a seat.

A long silence fell between them.

"There's something I need to tell you." Aroka said finally. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Earlier you asked me if I was hiding anything, and the truth is I was, though it's not what you think."

Tobirama raised an eyebrow at the sudden confession.

She sighed before speaking again.

"A long time ago, the Imada were a clan of shinobi, struggling to survive in a war-torn land. We weren't the strongest clan by any means, we lost many battles and many more men, but one day a little girl, no more than ten years old, told the chief that if he left with his army tomorrow, he would be the only one to return. As it turns out, the girl was right; the entire army was slaughtered in an ambush and only the chief managed to escape. Of course, he was shocked as to how the girl could have known this and went to speak with her.

"The girl's name was Hayako and she was born blind. The chief later found out that Hayako was essentially able to predict the future, it took a while but he soon discovered a way to use this ability to not only know the future, but change it as well. With Hayako's predictions, the Imada were able to turn the war in their favor and eventually won it altogether. After this, she was praised and worshiped like a goddess, everyone thought she had been sent by the heavens as a blessing to them. They might have been right, but blessings always come with a condition. You see, much like mine, the timeline Hayako saw only included people's locations, she could tell when people crossed paths and when they died, but that was about it. However, she soon discovered that there was a way to see more than just these. She called it Detailing. With it she could hear any conversation she wanted to, know the location of any person at any time, and even see alternate timelines. This was how she helped her clan win the war, but it was all for a price. She eventually realized that every time she Detailed, she lost a little bit of her sense of taste. Once her taste was completely gone, Detailing would weaken her smell. After that, her feeling. After that, her hearing.

"By the time she realized the severity of this, it was already too late. She had overused her abilities and quickly lost all her senses, just a few years after the war she became unresponsive after losing the last of her hearing." Aroka's eyes were downcast. "She was only sixteen."

Tobirama was quiet for a long moment, brows drawn in concentration.

"...you're also able to 'Detail.'"

"Yep."

"Your senses also weaken because of it."

"Yep."

"You've been Detailing to help us."

"Yep."

He paused again before asking the one question he really didn't want to know the answer to.

"How many have you lost?"

Aroka smiled sadly.

"My taste faded away six years ago. My smell, only a few months before we met. That's why I didn't notice the smoke."

He remained silent.

"It really isn't as bad as it seems, compared to some of the seers before me I'm actually doing quite well. It should be a few years before I have to worry about losing my sense of touch and even longer before I-"

"Are you stupid?" he stood up suddenly, eyes narrowing in anger.

Aroka was taken aback.

"Tobirama-"

"Why would you keep doing it if it's killing you?" he demanded.

"No, you don't understand-"

"I never should have asked for you help. I will not allow you to harm yourself just to further Hashirama's foolish dream." he stated coldly before turning his back to her. "We don't need your help. This is the last time we will meet."

"Wait! Tobirama!" she called desperately, jumping up from her seat.

But there was no response.

She knew he was already gone.


End file.
